Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a directive on Thursday naming the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Washington’s “emergency police commissioner” amid the federal takeover of the district’s police department.
The directive states that DEA Administrator Terry Cole will “assume all of the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police” for the duration of the public safety emergency imposed on the city.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including its current police chief and commanders, will have to obtain Cole’s approval before issuing any orders moving forward, it stated.
Bondi’s spokesperson Chad Gilmartin stated on X that the directive also rescinded MPD’s executive order that “enforced sanctuary policies” and “prevented arrests solely for federal immigration warrants.”…