The Trump administration has launched a new reward program offering $500 for tips that lead to arrests in Washington, D.C., as part of its ongoing federal law enforcement operation in the nation’s capital. The U.S. Marshals Service announced the cash incentive program on Tuesday, marking another step in President Donald Trump’s unprecedented takeover of the city’s police force.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on the social media platform X that the operation has achieved significant results since it began earlier this month. The federal crackdown has disrupted crime networks across multiple neighborhoods in the District.
According to Fox News, Bondi announced that the administration has “now made over 550 arrests in Washington, DC, and has taken 76 illegal firearms off the streets.” Bondi posted the update with a QR code, encouraging residents to report criminal activity. She emphasized that the collaborative effort between federal and local agencies aims to “make DC safe again.”
Trump’s federal takeover faces legal challenges
The reward program comes as the administration’s broader takeover of D.C. police has faced significant legal pushback from city officials. President Trump announced on August 11 that he was placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying National Guard troops to combat what he described as rising crime in the city.
In the effort to #MakeDCSafeAgain the U.S. Marshals announce a $500 reward for tips that lead to an arrest in Washington, D.C. Scan the QR code above or visit https://t.co/H3TflOnrfj to submit a tip! pic.twitter.com/nFlAZCub5U
— U.S. Marshals Service (@USMarshalsHQ) August 19, 2025
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit challenging the federal takeover, arguing it violated the city’s Home Rule Act. The legal dispute resulted in a modified arrangement that allows local Police Chief Pamela Smith to remain in command while requiring the city to cooperate with federal law enforcement requests. Mayor Muriel Bowser has called the federal intervention “unsettling and unprecedented.”
They can't find enough crime on the streets to justify this massive surge in useless police presence, so they're paying for snitches. Most murders in DC–like anywhere–aren't random street crimes: they're done in homes and workplaces–disputes, gang/drug related, etc.
— lobachevsky (@vladlobachevsk2) August 19, 2025
The operation has produced arrests across various crime categories, with roughly half occurring in high-crime areas of Wards 7 and 8, according to White House analysis. Recent arrests have included individuals charged with homicide, narcotics offenses, and firearm violations. The administration has particularly highlighted immigration-related arrests, including alleged gang members.
Crime statistics in Washington present a complex picture that has become central to the political debate surrounding the federal intervention. While Trump has characterized the city as experiencing a crime crisis, local data shows mixed trends across different categories of offenses. The disagreement over crime statistics reflects broader tensions between federal and local authorities over the unprecedented law enforcement operation led by Bondi’s Justice Department.
