WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Guard troops posted in Washington, D.C., now have permission to roll in marked patrol cars and military vehicles and to put Guard boats on the water, under an October 29 memo signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Pentagon officials said the guidance covers as many as 60 marked patrol cars plus Humvees, tactical vehicles and the District Guard boat fleet. It also allows as many as 20 portable light towers with generators, all in support of federal and local police.
According to the memo, the boats will guard the perimeter for police working drug interdiction in Anacostia, with a federal officer required on board every time. The document does not say why the mission is growing now.
About 3,000 Guard members are in the city under the crime crackdown the president ordered in August 2025. They back up police but cannot chase suspects or make arrests.
The change landed as Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who chairs the D.C. Council public safety committee, held a Thursday hearing on the federal law enforcement and Guard presence, with local leaders pressing for the troops to go home.
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