Hegseth allows National Guard to boost DC patrols with military vehicles, boats and patrol cars

Key Points:

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved an increased National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., authorizing the use of 60 military police cars, tactical vehicles, patrol boats, and portable light towers for expanded patrols alongside local law enforcement.
• Troops will be permitted to carry rifles during some operations targeting gangs and drug traffickers, while maintaining a maximum deployment of 3,500 Guard members, down from a peak of about 5,000 during the 250th anniversary celebrations.
• The National Guard's mission includes visibility patrols, neighborhood patrols, dispersing homeless camps, and citywide cleanup, with an emphasis on anti-gang and drug operations supported by six analysts focused on organized drug distribution.
• The U.S. Marshals Service has been granted access to the National Guard's 260th Special Purpose Brigade to protect key federal leaders and facilities, though requests for helicopters and cleanup operations involving troops were denied.
• The District of Columbia has challenged the deployment as illegal military use in domestic law enforcement, with ongoing legal proceedings following a lawsuit filed in September 2025; currently, nearly 3,100 Guard members from multiple states are active in the city.