Hegseth OKs National Guard boats, military vehicles and 60 patrol cars for D.C.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved a bigger National Guard presence on Washington's streets and waterways. Two memos he signed Oct. 29, obtained by The Associated Press, let troops use 60 military police cars, tactical vehicles, patrol boats and portable light towers ¹.

Troops will also be allowed to carry rifles during some operations, though not in Metro rail stations ¹. The memos say the patrol cars must be marked "National Guard" and that troops must be in uniform ¹. They bar high-speed chases ¹.

What the memos allow

The memos expand visibility patrols and call for 20 light towers in patrol zones ¹. Two Guard boats will provide "operational maritime support" ¹. Task & Purpose reports the equipment includes Humvees, and that boat crews will support police operations near Anacostia Park in Southeast Washington ².

The memos suggest troops will play a larger role against "gangs and drug traffickers" ¹. Troops on anti-gang and drug operations can carry rifles as well as their usual pistols ¹. Hegseth is also keeping six analysts working on drug distribution in the city ¹.

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Limits remain. Task & Purpose reports troops cannot make arrests, though they may briefly detain someone until local police are alerted ². A federal officer must be on a boat to help with any arrest, and crews cannot fire their service weapons from the boats ².

One memo also gives the U.S. Marshals Service use of the D.C. Guard's 260th Special Purpose Brigade, a unit that has served as a quick reaction force ¹. A separate Nov. 4 memo denied a Marshals request for Guard helicopters, and a request for troops to clean up abandoned tires ¹.

Troop numbers and trouble

The cap on deployed Guard members stays at 3,500, below a summer peak of about 5,000 during America's 250th anniversary events ¹. Task & Purpose puts the current number at 3,084 ². AP counts nearly 3,100 from various states, including more than 500 from Georgia ¹.

The expansion comes amid problems involving Guard members in the city ¹. They include the arrest of a Georgia serviceman for pulling a gun on a fellow Guard member, the arrest of a Guard member for carrying an unauthorized firearm, and the shooting of a Guardsman who was trying to break up a fight ¹.

The court fight

President Donald Trump first sent the Guard to D.C. in August 2025 for what he called a crime-fighting mission ¹. The District of Columbia sued in September 2025. It argues the deployment is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement ¹.

A lower court sided with the city ¹. A federal appeals court panel heard arguments Oct. 14 ¹. AP's report does not say when that panel will rule.

The Pentagon confirmed that Hegseth "authorized the continued use of National Guard personnel and capabilities in support of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission" ¹. This story has no response from Democratic lawmakers because the two reports we reviewed include none.

That matters because the city's legal challenge is still unresolved while the equipment grows. The expansion puts more military-style gear in a civilian setting before the courts have settled whether troops belong there at all.

The Record

1. Aug 1, 2025Trump first deployed the National Guard in Washington in August 2025 for what he called a crime-fighting mission ¹.
2. Sep 1, 2025The District of Columbia sued in September 2025, calling the deployment an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement ¹.
3. Oct 14, 2026A federal appeals court panel heard arguments after a lower court sided with the city ¹.
4. Oct 29, 2026Hegseth signed two memos approving 60 patrol cars, tactical vehicles, patrol boats and light towers ¹.

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<h2>Hegseth OKs National Guard boats, military vehicles and 60 patrol cars for D.C.</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Investigations Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hegseth-oks-national-guard-boats-military-vehicles-and-60-patrol-cars-for-d-c">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 5, 2026.</em></p> <p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved a bigger National Guard presence on Washington&#39;s streets and waterways. Two memos he signed Oct. 29, obtained by The Associated Press, let troops use 60 military police cars, tactical vehicles, patrol boats and portable light towers .</p> <p>Troops will also be allowed to carry rifles during some operations, though not in Metro rail stations . The memos say the patrol cars must be marked &quot;National Guard&quot; and that troops must be in uniform . They bar high-speed chases .</p> <h2>What the memos allow</h2> <p>The memos expand visibility patrols and call for 20 light towers in patrol zones . Two Guard boats will provide &quot;operational maritime support&quot; . Task &amp; Purpose reports the equipment includes Humvees, and that boat crews will support police operations near Anacostia Park in Southeast Washington .</p> <p>The memos suggest troops will play a larger role against &quot;gangs and drug traffickers&quot; . Troops on anti-gang and drug operations can carry rifles as well as their usual pistols . Hegseth is also keeping six analysts working on drug distribution in the city .</p> <p>Limits remain. Task &amp; Purpose reports troops cannot make arrests, though they may briefly detain someone until local police are alerted . A federal officer must be on a boat to help with any arrest, and crews cannot fire their service weapons from the boats .</p> <p>One memo also gives the U.S. Marshals Service use of the D.C. Guard&#39;s 260th Special Purpose Brigade, a unit that has served as a quick reaction force . A separate Nov. 4 memo denied a Marshals request for Guard helicopters, and a request for troops to clean up abandoned tires .</p> <h2>Troop numbers and trouble</h2> <p>The cap on deployed Guard members stays at 3,500, below a summer peak of about 5,000 during America&#39;s 250th anniversary events . Task &amp; Purpose puts the current number at 3,084 . AP counts nearly 3,100 from various states, including more than 500 from Georgia .</p> <p>The expansion comes amid problems involving Guard members in the city . They include the arrest of a Georgia serviceman for pulling a gun on a fellow Guard member, the arrest of a Guard member for carrying an unauthorized firearm, and the shooting of a Guardsman who was trying to break up a fight .</p> <h2>The court fight</h2> <p>President Donald Trump first sent the Guard to D.C. in August 2025 for what he called a crime-fighting mission . The District of Columbia sued in September 2025. It argues the deployment is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement .</p> <p>A lower court sided with the city . A federal appeals court panel heard arguments Oct. 14 . AP&#39;s report does not say when that panel will rule.</p> <p>The Pentagon confirmed that Hegseth &quot;authorized the continued use of National Guard personnel and capabilities in support of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission&quot; . This story has no response from Democratic lawmakers because the two reports we reviewed include none.</p> <p>That matters because the city&#39;s legal challenge is still unresolved while the equipment grows. The expansion puts more military-style gear in a civilian setting before the courts have settled whether troops belong there at all.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hegseth-oks-national-guard-boats-military-vehicles-and-60-patrol-cars-for-d-c">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/hegseth-oks-national-guard-boats-military-vehicles-and-60-patrol-cars-for-d-c.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. AP, “Hegseth allows National Guard to boost DC patrols with military vehicles, boats and patrol cars” (2026-11-05). apnews.com/article/national-guard-patrols-dc-hegseth-pentago
2. Task & Purpose, “Hegseth adds more Humvees, patrol cars, boats to DC National Guard law enforcement 'support' mission” (2026-11-05). taskandpurpose.com/news/national-guard-law-enforcement-asset

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