FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Monday that the United States is on track to record its lowest murder rate in modern history. Speaking at a press conference, Patel credited the decline to the efforts of law enforcement and President Trump’s administration. “The murder rates are plummeting,” he said. “We are now able to report that the murder rate is on track to be the lowest in US history, in modern reported US history, thanks to this team behind me and President Trump’s priorities.” As the president also moved to deploy the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and take control of the city’s police force, the administration emphasized its tough-on-crime approach.
Patel highlighted other major accomplishments, including a notable increase in the identification of child victims. “This year alone, under President Trump’s administration, we’ve had over 4,000 child victims identified and found—that’s a 33% increase from the same time period last year,” he said. Additionally, law enforcement has seized 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl, a 25% increase compared to last year. Patel emphasized the severity of the drug crisis by stating that the amount seized is “enough to kill 115 million Americans.”
Further demonstrating law enforcement’s progress, Patel stated that the FBI has made significant arrests in 2025. “The FBI has arrested 19,000 people this year alone,” he said, which he noted is double the number from the same time last year. Among those arrested were 1,600 individuals involved in violent acts against children, including 270 human traffickers. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reinforced these statements on social media, writing that the president’s commitment to cleaning up the streets is “producing real results.”
Patel also praised the administration’s leadership, attributing the crime-fighting progress to strong guidance from President Trump, the Attorney General, and officials like Pam Bondi. “This is what happens when you have great leadership,” he said. The administration’s focus on protecting the homeland, American citizens, and particularly children was a recurring theme in his remarks.
In related news, U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced federal charges against five individuals involved in a large-scale labor and sex trafficking conspiracy. The accused allegedly operated multiple hotel properties in the Omaha metro area and central Nebraska, where undocumented immigrants—including children under the age of twelve—were forced to work in abusive conditions. During an August 12th operation, authorities rescued 10 minors and 17 adults from the alleged scheme. According to the Justice Department, the victims lived in squalid conditions and were even required to pay for their own lodging. One federal source described finding victims sleeping on the floor in infested rooms, with cockroaches crawling over them.
