At the same time, Trump established a powerful joint federal task force uniting the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Justice. The unprecedented coordination aimed to dismantle criminal networks operating throughout Memphis and surrounding areas. The operation formally launched on September 29, setting into motion a sweeping crackdown that would soon transform the city’s law enforcement landscape.

Federal officials described the initiative as a “total saturation strategy,” targeting violent offenders, illegal firearms trafficking, organized gangs, narcotics distribution networks, and human trafficking operations. The goal, according to senior administration officials, was not merely to slow crime temporarily but to dismantle its infrastructure at its roots.

As of Thursday, authorities have made 2,213 arrests as part of Trump’s federal crime crackdown in Memphis, according to a daily police report obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller. The scope of the operation is vast. Among those taken into custody are 139 known gang members, representing some of the most violent criminal organizations believed to be operating in the region. In addition, officers have seized 379 firearms—many of them illegally owned, trafficked, or modified—and recovered 97 missing children who had been reported lost or abducted.

Law enforcement officials say those numbers reveal only part of the story.

Behind each arrest, seizure, and recovery lies weeks of surveillance, intelligence gathering, and coordinated strikes carried out by joint tactical teams composed of federal agents, state troopers, and local Memphis police officers. Raids have taken place in the early morning hours, often without warning, as heavily armored teams moved swiftly to secure suspects and prevent armed resistance.

Residents in affected neighborhoods reported being awakened by the sound of helicopters, sirens, and federal vehicles moving in rapid convoys through narrow streets. For many, the sudden presence of uniformed troops and federal agents created a mix of relief and unease.

“I’ve lived here all my life and never seen anything like this,” said one Memphis resident, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons. “For the first time in years, I feel like somebody is finally doing something. But it’s also scary—this level of force shows how bad things really got.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the results in a statement to The Daily Caller, calling the operation a clear success.

“The numbers clearly show that Memphis is safer thanks to President Trump’s federal surge,” Bondi said. “Violent predators are being removed from the streets, illegal weapons are being taken out of circulation, and vulnerable children are being rescued from horrific situations. This is what effective law enforcement looks like when agencies work together without political interference.”

Bondi emphasized that the joint task force model could serve as a template for similar operations in other high-crime cities across the nation. She noted that federal authorities had been closely monitoring crime data trends for months before selecting Memphis as the next focal point for intervention.

According to internal briefings, Memphis was chosen due to its strategic position along major interstate corridors and its role as a hub for both drug trafficking and firearms movement throughout the southeastern United States. Federal analysts reportedly identified a sharp increase in gang-related shootings, carjackings, and homicide rates, triggering the administration’s decision to act.

Trump’s move to deploy the National Guard mirrored earlier actions in Washington, D.C., where a similar federal presence had been credited by supporters with sharply reducing violent incidents in key areas of the capital. After that operation, Trump made it clear that he was prepared to expand the federal role in local policing wherever he believed public safety had been compromised.

“This is about law and order,” Trump said during a brief White House statement following the announcement. “Every American deserves to live without fear. When local politicians fail to protect their own citizens, the federal government will step in and do what must be done.”

The operation, however, has not been without controversy. Civil rights organizations, community activists, and some local officials have raised concerns about the heavy federal presence, arguing that it risks militarizing law enforcement and disproportionately impacting minority neighborhoods.

Several advocacy groups have called for independent oversight of the raids, particularly in cases involving no-knock warrants and large-scale home searches. They argue that while crime reduction is a critical goal, it must not come at the expense of constitutional protections.

“We all want safer streets,” said one local civil rights leader during a community forum. “But we also want accountability, transparency, and respect for our communities. Aggressive enforcement alone will not solve the deeper causes of violence.”

Federal officials, however, insist that all operations are being conducted within strict legal guidelines and that every warrant has been approved by federal judges. They also emphasize that recovering nearly 100 missing children represents one of the most significant humanitarian outcomes of the entire operation.

Officials involved in the task force revealed that many of the recovered children were victims of trafficking, exploitation, or had been forcibly recruited by criminal organizations. Some were located during multi-location raids on suspected trafficking sites, abandoned buildings, and stash houses.

“Those rescues alone justify the entire operation,” one senior federal agent said. “Every single child recovered is a life pulled back from unimaginable danger.”

The seizure of 379 firearms has also placed significant pressure on the illegal weapons pipeline feeding violence in the city. Investigators noted that a large number of the guns had been modified for automatic fire or had their serial numbers removed. Several were traced back to interstate trafficking networks extending as far as Texas, Georgia, and the Midwest.

Memphis Police Chief officials say shootings have already declined in several hot-spot neighborhoods since the operation began, although they caution that definitive long-term data will require months of analysis.

Hospitals have also reported a notable decline in gunshot wound admissions since mid-October, further suggesting that the crackdown may already be changing conditions on the ground.

For small business owners in hard-hit areas, the change has been both dramatic and immediate.

“I used to close my shop before sundown,” said a convenience store owner in North Memphis. “Now I’m staying open later again. People are actually walking the streets without looking over their shoulders every five seconds.”

Despite the early signs of success, critics warn that sustained safety will depend on what comes after the raids. Without long-term investment in education, job creation, mental health services, and community infrastructure, they argue, crime could resurface once federal forces scale back.

The Trump administration, however, maintains that enforcement is the necessary first step.

“You can’t rebuild a neighborhood that’s under siege,” one senior administration official said. “Restoring order creates the space where real recovery can begin.”

As the operation enters its second phase, officials say the focus will shift toward dismantling financial networks tied to organized crime, expanding cooperation with prosecutors to ensure long-term prison sentences for the most violent offenders, and increasing witness protection programs to secure testimony against gang leaders.

Meanwhile, President Trump has indicated that similar federal surges could soon be announced in other U.S. cities if crime trends continue to rise.

“This is only the beginning,” Trump said. “We are taking our streets back.”

Whether the Memphis crackdown ultimately becomes a national model or a political flashpoint remains to be seen. For now, the city stands at the center of a bold, controversial experiment in federal crime enforcement—one already reshaping lives, neighborhoods, and the national debate over law, order, and the proper limits of federal power.