Trump task force racks up 500 arrests in January as president brands cartels ‘ISIS of the Western Hemisphere’

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EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s joint Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) made more than 500 arrests in one month as the interagency operation conducted a "surge" of resources in January. 

HSTFs, joint operations of DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI that partner with other state and local agencies, were established via the president’s day-one executive order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion." 

"The President’s Homeland Security Task Forces are a landmark achievement that highlight what the federal government can achieve with a leader like President Trump who is willing to slash red tape, increase coordination, and put the safety of the American people first," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.

"The January HSTF Human Trafficking Surge made tremendous progress toward getting criminals off the streets and protecting victims," she said, adding that HSTFs around the country continue similar work every day to fulfill Trump’s pledge to "Make America Safe Again."

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President Donald Trump speaks at the Mexican border wall. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

The January surge sought to stifle the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs and dismantle cross-border smuggling rings with a particular focus on crimes involving children as it utilized any and all available tools to enforce federal immigration laws.

During HSTF’s 114 operations in January, 507 people were arrested — 231 facing federal charges and 276 facing state charges — and 16 federal indictments were secured.

Authorities seized 1,109 pounds of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl and meth, as well as six weapons caches. Fifty-two victims identified during the operations were provided about $491,000 in restitution.

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A total of 257 victims were successfully identified, with 27 being children.

The operation spanned the entire Lower 48, from Atlantic City to San Diego, and included Las Cruces, Raleigh, Miami, Buffalo, St. Paul, Wilmington Delaware, Key West, and several border towns including San Ysidro in California, Laredo in Texas, Nogales in Arizona, and Eagle Pass in Texas.

Departments involved ranged in size from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Police Department in Cape Charles, Virginia, to the Coast Guard and Border Patrol.

In one case last week reported by the Coast Guard, its San Juan station worked with HSTF to apprehend a stowaway smuggler with 10 bales of cocaine in a Puerto Rico harbor. That cache weighed 790 pounds and had a street value of $5 million.

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"It should now be clear to the entire world that the cartels are the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere," Trump said in christening the HSTF in October.

Since its launch, HSTF has partnered with other agencies on several operations, including with the IRS and SDNY.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].