More than 300 additional soldiers will patrol Washington at the request of the Trump Government

Washington.- The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has requested reinforcements from the state of West Virginia, which will send more than 300 troops from its National Guard to Washington D.C., to support the 800 soldiers patrolling the capital as part of the Republican's campaign against crime.

"West Virginia is proud to support President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital," announced the state's governor, Patrick Morrisey, in a statement this Saturday. State authorities detailed that, "at the request of the Trump Administration," they plan to send to the nearby District of Columbia "between 300 and 400 trained personnel" of the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG), a mission that will include the supply of essential equipment and specialized training, all funded by federal funds. "The WVNG will deploy troops in the country's capital as a show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation," the statement adds.

Increase in Federal Agents in the Capital

This announcement comes a day after Washington authorities sued the Republican administration for what they consider a "hostile takeover" of the capital's police by the federal government, which they claim has abused its authority under the Home Rule Act that regulates the self-government of the District since 1973. Following a hearing in federal court, the Government reversed its decision on Friday to appoint the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Terry Cole, as an "emergency commissioner" of the Police, although he will remain overseeing security actions in the city in compliance with the order of the US president.

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Trump declared a “Public Safety Emergency” and took control of the Washington D.C. Police on Monday, when he also announced the activation of some 800 troops from the National Guard of the capital, as part of his efforts to “restore public order,” under a clause of the Autonomy Law.

Since then, the American capital has seen an exponential increase in the presence of agents from federal agencies such as the FBI, the DEA, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who have made dozens of arrests for weapons possession and other crimes, to which are added detentions of undocumented immigrants, according to the White House. According to the president, these actions are necessary due to the "wave of crime" that the city is suffering, claims rejected by local authorities, who state that the current figures for violent crimes are the lowest in recent decades.