The Federal Bureau of Investigation and its law enforcement partners made more than 8,600 arrests this summer as part of an initiative to crack down on violent crime, the agency said.
Operation Summer Heat targeted violent crime across the country and resulted in 8,629 arrests, FBI director Kash Patel said.
“We are not messing around,” Patel said in a statement. “Our No. 1 mission is crushing violent crime. If you hurt a child, we’re coming for you. If you jack a car, we’re coming for you. If you’re polluting our neighborhoods with deadly drugs, we’re coming for you.”
According to the Bureau, between June 24 and Sept. 20, FBI field offices across the country participated in a “multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime.” Joining state and local partners, the bureau executed federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitive, targeting violent gangs and transnational criminal organizations, identifying and rescuing child victims and addressing violent crime cases in “Indian Country.”
Of the arrests, more than 6,500 fell under the FBI’s Violent Crime and Gang program, officials said. Agents and intelligence professionals investigated violent crimes against children and identified or located more than 1,000 child victims. Officials said the Summer Heat operation also led to the seizure of 44,560 kilograms of cocaine, 421 kilograms of fentanyl and 2,281 weapons.
“We are grateful for Director Kash Patel and our brave FBI agents who removed more than 8,600 violent offenders from our streets this summer,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “Under President Trump’s directive to make America safe again, this Department of Justice will continue prosecuting violent crime and dismantling criminal gangs who are wreaking havoc in our communities.”