Karoline Leavitt says DC police arrested MS-13 member amid Trump’s crime crackdown

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday that law enforcement arrested an MS-13 member on the streets of Washington, D.C.

The gang member has prior convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and drug possession, Leavitt said. The arrest follows Trump’s federal takeover of Washington and the deployment of the National Guard to combat violent crime in the nation’s capital.

“Last night, there were a total of 52 arrests, including the arrest of an illegal alien, an MS-13 gang member, with convictions for DWI and drug possession,” Leavitt said. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the outstanding work of both federal and local law enforcement, dangerous gang members like the one picked up last night will not be allowed on the streets of our nation’s capital.”

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Since Aug. 7, law enforcement has made a total of 465 arrests as of Tuesday, Leavitt said. The administration has made 164 immigration-related arrests in the nation’s capital since Aug. 8, Axios reported.

A total of 52 arrests were made on Monday night, which included assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing, parole violation for robbery, murder, outstanding warrant for attempted murder, assault on a federal law enforcement officer and felony assault, Leavitt further confirmed. Four additional homeless encampments were also removed.

Nearly half of the crime-related arrests in Washington have taken place in Wards 7 and 8, which accounted for almost 60% of the district’s homicides in 2024.

Border czar Tom Homan said on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” on Wednesday that the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is working “hand in hand” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ensure that Washington is no longer a sanctuary city.

The corporate media has attempted to downplay the violent crime rates in Washington by citing the MPD’s crime statistics, which were allegedly manipulated by its former police commander. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) data shows that violent crime has only dropped 10% since 2024, but remains above pre-pandemic levels.

High-profile violent crime incidents have plagued Washington in 2025, including the murders of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym and two Israeli Embassy staffers outside of the Capital Jewish Museum.

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