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2d ago

FBI Personnel Say Trump’s D.C. Surge Exposes Undercover Cars

Agents warn the high-visibility deployment risks “burning” covert cars.

FBI and Border Patrol officers arrest a man, after he assaulted law enforcement with a sandwich, along the U Street corridor during a federal law enforcement deployment to the nation's capital on August 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
FBI agents prepare at the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a federal take over of the Metropolitan Police Department under the Home Rule Act and the deployment of the National Guard to assist in crime prevention in the nation's capital, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 13, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo
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Overview

  • Nine current and former FBI employees told Reuters the crackdown has revealed unmarked bureau vehicles used for sensitive surveillance and national-security work.
  • Agents described being pulled into routine arrests in tactical gear and exiting their usual covert cars, potentially identifying those vehicles to targets.
  • The FBI, through spokesperson Ben Williamson, rejected the assertions as a misunderstanding of security protocols and said leadership has not received such concerns.
  • The District of Columbia sued to halt the National Guard deployment tied to the operation, with Attorney General Brian Schwalb calling it an involuntary military occupation.
  • Sources cited a DOJ watchdog report and a 2018 Sinaloa Cartel case to illustrate exploitation risks, urged steps like replacing plates or using rentals, and noted talk of extending similar operations to cities such as Chicago and Baltimore.