At one point, Miller told the assembled local police officers, “I see the guns and badges in this room. You are unleashed. The handcuffs you’re carrying, they’re not on you anymore, they’re on the criminals. And whatever you need to get it done, we’re gonna get it done.”

The 40-year-old stated that they had deployed over 13 government agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE, and the Department of Defense, which Hegseth has since rebranded as the “Department of War.”

“The gangbangers that you deal with, they think that they’re ruthless, they have no idea how ruthless we are,” Miller added.

“They think they’re tough, they have no idea how tough we are. They think that they’re hardcore, we are so much more hardcore than they are, and we have the entire weight of the United States government behind us. What do they have? They have nothing behind them. So we are gonna win, they’re gonna lose.”

At the Wednesday appearance, Hegseth thanked the assembled Memphis law officers for working in dangerous places “where politicians spend a lot of time second guessing… the impossible decisions that you have to make that they will never understand.”

Hegseth, Bondi and Miller spent around an hour in the Shelby County Office of Preparedness and left via the rear entrance, according to WREG TV.

Bondi said on X that 53 arrests had been made and 20 illegal firearms seized in the first two days of the Memphis Safe Task Force.

  • Basic Glitch@sh.itjust.worksOP
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    16 hours ago

    They are harassing and intimidating the entire city for no fucking reason other than to harass and intimidate.

    From the Memphis subreddit tonight: They are pulling EVERYONE over looking for warrants. Get yo 💩right

    Can the helicopters please stop circling?! I do not feel safer…

    Not only warrents…this is an opportunity to visually search your car. If the interior of your car is a dumpster…clean it and vacume it. A clean car reflects on the driver, plus gives John Law less time in your car. This action isn’t about curtailing crime as much as intimadating lawful citizens into submission. For many it’s going to be a test. Is standing up for your rights worth a night in jail.

    The helicopters are definitely being using as a means to intimidate large portions of the population at once.

    Saw armored trucks, black vans, and so many state troopers. 6-7 people pulled over

    This is not normal. This is rising fascism at work. Do not forget that.

    • Cassanderer@thelemmy.club
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      9 hours ago

      Food is often mistaken for drugs. Roadside tests of drugs have high false positives especially when they are not done correctly. As reported in propublica and elsewhere.

      That ziploc that had a sandwich or bread crumb could get you locked up, with no end in sight if you can’t bail out, but you can get out right away if you plead.