The troops of the US National Guard began to appear on the streets of Washington, one day after President Donald Trump ordered them to send them to the city and took control of the local police force, claiming that the level of violent crime is increasing.
Troops were mobilized to Washington PHOTO US ARMY / X
Armored vehicles were observed on Tuesday evening in central areas and tourist objectives in the US capital. Officials have stated that 800 soldiers of the National Guard and 500 federal law enforcement agents are expected, according to the BBC.
The Mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, Democrat, who denied that the city would face an uncontrolled growth of crime, described the right troops “An authoritarian action”.
Trump has threatened similar measures against New York and Chicago, both led by Democrats.
The camouflaged military began to arrive gradually in the capital since Monday, after the president's announcement.
They were seen raising barricades in front of several government buildings and taking pictures of tourists.
According to the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, 23 people were arrested on Monday evening by federal agents, who collaborate with local law enforcement.
She said that the arrests were made for crimes such as murder, illegal possession of weapons, drug trafficking, indecent acts, harassment, reckless leadership and other criminal acts.
“This is just the beginning”said Leavitt, adding: “During the next month, the Trump administration will follow and arrest every violent offender in the district who violates the law, undermines public safety and endangers the Americans respectful to the law.”
The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, later said that the FBI agents were involved in about half of the arrests.
Both the Mayor of Washington and the head of the city police said earlier on the same day that they share the same goal with federal agents.
“What interests me is the federal offensive and how to make the most of the presence of the federal agents we have”Bowser said after a meeting with the US General Prosecutor, Pam Bondi.
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Pamela Smith, said: “We know that we have to eliminate the illegal weapons from our streets, and if we have this influx of additional forces, we know that this will make our city even safer.”
However, at a public meeting on Tuesday evening, the mayor resumed his criticisms of Trump.
Bowser urged the community to “Protect the city, to protect autonomy, to protect our right to self-government and to overcome this situation, assuring us that we choose a chamber of representatives controlled by Democrats, in order to have a counterparty to this authoritarian action.”according to the New York Times.
The action takes place while the authorities have launched a search operation of an armed attacker who killed a man in Logan Circle on Monday, one of the most fashionable Washington neighborhoods, just 1.6 kilometers from the White House.
According to the local press, this was the 100th crime committed in the US capital this year. The police said the suspect was last seen wearing a black shirt and having a rifle on him.
The incident has determined the US Secret Service to strengthen the security measures around the presidential residence as a precaution.
According to Washington DC Metropolitan Police data, violent crimes reached a peak in 2023, then decreased last year by 35%, reaching the lowest level of the last three decades.
But the president of the DC police union, Gregg Pemberton, challenged these figures, previously accusing the city's police department that “Deliberately falsifies the data on crime, creating a false image of reduction of criminality, while communities suffer.”
The FBI data also showed a decrease in crime in Washington DC last year, but more modest, of 9%.
Studies indicate that the rate of crimes in the capital is above the average of other great American cities.
