US updates: National Guard troops deployed in Washington, DC

Some of the 800 members of the National Guard deployed by US President Donald Trump have started to arrive in the US capital.

Their deployment comes after he ordered federal forces to take control of the US capital's police department, citing what he said was a crime emergency.

Mexicoextradited 26 people suspected as members of drug cartels and other criminal organizations to the US, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.

They face a wide range of charges in the US, including murder, drug smuggling and human trafficking.

"Among the fugitives taken into U.S. custody today are leaders and managers of dangerous drug cartels, such as those designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), and Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas)," the DoJ said in a statement. 

According to Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch, the 26 posed a public security threat in the country, adding that the extraditions were made at the DoJ's request.

Garcia Harfuch added the US agreed not to seek the death penalty for the suspects.

The White House said that homeless people in Washington who refuse to leave their encampments could face jail time.

"Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter to be offered addiction or mental health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time again," President Donald Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trump himself said on Sunday that "we will give [homeless people] places to stay, but FAR from the capital.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city would "make sure it uses" the the extra man power after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and assumed federal control over the capital city's police force.

This comes despite Bowser earlier calling the Trump administration's move "unsettling and unprecedented."

At a press conference on Tuesday, Bowser attempted to put a positive spin on the situation.

"How we got here or what we think about the circumstances — right now we have more police, and we want to make sure we use them," she told reporters. 

The National Guard would not have the power to make any arrests, and troops will carry no weapons but will have their standard issue firearms, usually rifles, close at hand, officials said.

Some 800 National Guard troops who are set to be deployed in Washington started arriving in the city on Tuesday.

A steady stream of uniformed soldiers were seen at the National Guard headquarters, loading supplies including ammunition and ready-to-eat meals.

President Donald Trump's justified the deployment by labeling Washington a "lawless city," with very little to support that claim.

A Department of Justice report showed violent crime in Washington was down by 35% since 2023.

US President Donald Trump's decision to take over local police in Washington, DC, and send in members of the National Guard will become a reality as some 800 troops deploy in capital city.

Protests against the move have been taking place ever since Trump's announcement of the move, also resulting in clashes with security forces. 

We'll have all the updates as the National Guard arrives in DC.