President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize Memphis, Tenn., is showing early signs of success, with crime rates falling as thousands of federal agents carry out arrests.
Following his earlier efforts to restore order in Washington, D.C., Trump announced in early September that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis. He also established a joint task force bringing together the FBI, ATF, and Department of Justice to coordinate a citywide crime crackdown that began on Sept. 29.
As of Thursday, authorities have made 2,213 arrests as part of Trump’s federal crime crackdown in Memphis, according to a daily police report obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller.
The operation has so far resulted in the capture of 139 known gang members, the seizure of 379 firearms, and the recovery of 97 missing children.
“The numbers clearly show that Memphis is safer thanks to President Trump’s federal surge,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told the Caller in a statement.
“Our agents from the FBI, DEA, US Marshals, and ATF have done incredible work alongside HSI and local police to combat violent crime and restore safety to an iconic American city. Tolerating crime is a choice, and this Department of Justice chooses law and order,” she added.
On Thursday, 1,639 federal agents representing 31 agencies were deployed across Memphis as part of the ongoing federal crime crackdown, according to a daily police report obtained by the outlet. The report noted that teams conducted coordinated raids, warrant executions, and targeted patrols in neighborhoods identified as high-risk by federal crime analysts.
Officials say the operation will continue “as long as necessary” to reduce violent crime and dismantle the organizations fueling it. Local law enforcement leaders, who have been meeting with federal authorities twice daily, described the effort as one of the most extensive multi-agency collaborations the city has ever seen.
“We’re seeing results in real time,” one senior Memphis police official said. “This level of manpower allows us to go after the worst offenders while maintaining strong patrol coverage in every precinct. The goal is not just arrests — it’s long-term stability for our communities.”