Trump, Patel Announce Historic Success Under Operation Summer Heat

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that the first seven months of President Donald J. Trump’s second-term initiative, Operation Summer Heat, have produced the most successful crime-fighting results in American history.

Speaking at a White House press conference alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi, Patel and President Trump outlined the results of the federal law enforcement effort aimed at restoring law and order nationwide.

“Since the start of the administration, the FBI has arrested over 23,000 violent criminals,” Trump said.

The president emphasized that the figure more than doubles the number of arrests made during the final year of the Biden administration, a clear reflection of his “law-and-order-first” approach.

“The FBI has also destroyed or severely disrupted more than 170 organized criminal enterprises and gangs, 1,600 of the most violent gangs, and confiscated more than 6,000 illegal firearms,” Trump added.

The president noted that his administration’s crackdown has already captured four of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives, including two of the world’s most wanted criminals.

While praising the accomplishments, Trump said there’s still more work ahead — and hinted at expanding the operation to new territories.

“These are great cities that could be fixed,” Trump said. “I’m going to be strongly recommending we start looking at San Francisco. I think we can make San Francisco one of our great cities. It’s a mess, and we have great support in San Francisco.”

The president reaffirmed his longstanding commitment to public safety.

“Every American deserves to live in a community where they’re not afraid of being mugged, murdered, robbed, raped, assaulted, or shot,” he declared.

Patel detailed the staggering scope of Operation Summer Heat: 8,700 violent criminal arrests, 2,200 firearms seized, 421 kilograms of fentanyl, and 45,000 kilograms of cocaine taken off the streets — all in just three months.

He said the amount of fentanyl seized was enough to kill more than 5,500 people.

Between June and September alone, Patel reported 2,100 criminal indictments.

“That in and of itself would be historic for a four-year presidency,” Patel told Trump. “You did that in seven months because you let good cops be cops, and you partnered us with the right people in the Department of Justice.”

Patel contrasted the results with those under the previous administration, noting that Trump’s seven-month total of 28,600 violent crime arrests far exceeded the 15,000–17,000 annual average under Biden.

Attorney General Bondi credited President Trump for removing bureaucratic restraints that had long hindered law enforcement.

“That’s why all of this is happening,” Bondi said.

She praised the FBI’s tireless work ethic:

“They have families and small children at home but are working non-stop to keep the country and world safe,” she said.

Bondi also recognized Deputy Director Andrew Bailey for his leadership and highlighted a recent operation in Memphis as an example of the initiative’s effectiveness.

“In one night, they made nearly 70 arrests, seized a dozen guns, and arrested a 70-year-old man suspected of raping a child under the age of 3,” Bondi said. “That one case makes everything we are doing worthwhile.”

When asked why the military was being used against maritime drug traffickers instead of the Coast Guard, Trump explained that smugglers’ boats often outpace traditional patrol vessels.

“Some of these boats are world-class speedboats, but they’re not faster than missiles,” the president said.

He reiterated that his administration’s top priority remains the safety of the American people — a stark contrast to the chaos and leniency of prior years.

“We’re going to keep our communities safe, no matter what it takes,” Trump concluded.