‘Operation Summer Heat 2.0’: FBI Director Launches New Anti-Crime Initiative

FBI Director Kash Patel said on June 2 that the FBI will launch another nationwide anti-crime operation, dubbed “Operation Summer Heat 2.0,” later this month.

Patel traveled to West Virginia to announce the new initiative, a follow-up to last year’s “Operation Summer Heat,” and to highlight the results of other operations.

“We will go after every animal, every predator, every drug trafficker, every terrorist that dares to come into our country and take away our freedoms because they’re jealous of the way we live,” the FBI director said. “This is no small endeavor. We are going to replicate this operation for the next 95 days across the country.”

During last year’s Operation Summer Heat, which ran from June 24 to Sept. 20, at least 8,629 people were arrested, 2,281 firearms were seized, according to the FBI, which added that 1,053 at-risk children were located or identified. More than 920 pounds of fentanyl and nearly 10,000 pounds of cocaine were also seized.

Patel also released the results of a separate three-month anti-crime operation, saying the law enforcement bureau arrested more than 1,100 people during that period.

In a post on X, Patel wrote that “Operation Spring Cleaning” resulted in the arrests of 1,139 suspects as well as 984 firearm seizures, 615 criminal indictments, 105 pounds of fentanyl seized, and 1,122 pounds of cocaine seized. The operation, he added, lasted from March 1 to May 31.

Patel also told Fox News that “these surges truly save lives, and I couldn’t be prouder of our agents and partners who executed them,” referring to the operation.

“The FBI’s Operation Spring Cleaning is yet another example of our commitment to rooting out crime and delivering results the American public deserves,” FBI Deputy Director Chris Raia told the outlet.

“Along with our partners, we’re protecting our communities, reducing crime stats nationwide, and producing record numbers of arrests and seizures. We remain focused on carrying out our mission to crush violent crime and defend the homeland, and we’ve only just begun.”

Last month, the FBI, citing preliminary data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, said that violent crime decreased 9.3 percent from 2024 to 2025, including an 18.1 percent decrease in murders and non-negligent manslaughter. Robberies decreased by 18.5 percent, rape decreased by 7.6 percent, and aggravated assaults dropped by 7.2 percent.

Data collected from 35 American cities showed a 21 percent decrease in the homicide rate from 2024 to 2025, translating to about 922 fewer homicides last year, according to a report from the independent Council on Criminal Justice released in January.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.