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The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force is launching a massive “summer surge” of federal law enforcement to ensure Washington, D.C., is the safest city in America ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.
During a news conference Friday, leaders touted the Trump administration’s success in driving down violent crime in the city since the D.C. task force launched last year.
The joint law enforcement operation has resulted in nearly 13,000 arrests, the seizure of more than 1,400 illegal guns, the apprehension of 32 murder suspects, and the recovery of 23 missing children.
Due to the aggressive enforcement efforts, overall crime in D.C. has plummeted 26%, with homicides dropping nearly 50% and carjackings down 60%. The U.S. Attorney’s Office added it has secured more than 7,000 convictions over the past year.
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Officials said a focal point of the summer surge will be crushing the “teen takeovers” that have terrorized D.C. neighborhoods and shut down local businesses.
Blasting the D.C. Council for “refusing to deal with the problem,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced a zero-tolerance policy that shifts the legal burden onto the parents of delinquent youth.
Starting immediately, federal prosecutors will charge parents under a D.C. statute for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Parents who drop their kids off, fail to supervise them or allow them to skip school to participate in the chaos will face fines, court-mandated classes and up to six months in jail.
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“Law-abiding taxpayers should no longer have to pay for parental neglect,” Pirro said. “Parents, do your jobs or we will do ours. In the end, taxpayers will no longer subsidize the chaos caused by parental neglect.”
Noting that the task force is “coming for perfection,” officials said multiple federal agencies will flood the district with personnel and advanced technology to root out remaining criminal networks.
A formal request has been made for an additional 1,500 National Guardsmen to deploy to D.C., bringing the total troop presence to 5,000.
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The task force will also deploy high-visibility patrols, drones, tactical K-9 units and helicopters to curb crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said it will ramp up resources to target out-of-state drug trafficking cartels, arguing that drug dealers should be “treated like terrorists.”
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it will increase operations to seize illegal firearms being trafficked into the city from Maryland and Virginia.
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Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will double its special agents on the streets to target identity theft and those who fraudulently obtain housing without paying rent.
In a stark warning to anyone planning political violence in the capital, Pirro said offenders will face “the full wrath of the law,” announcing her office filed notice to seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, 31, the suspect accused of murdering two young Israeli embassy staff members at the Capitol Jewish Museum on May 21, 2025.
