The Justice Department is reviewing the possibility of criminal charges related to FBI surveillance operations targeting President Trump, his supporters, and numerous other citizens over the last decade.
These investigations, which were conducted under the codenames Crossfire Hurricane, Round River, Plasmic Echo, and Arctic Frost, classified Trump as a national security risk from his 2016 campaign until January 2025. The methods employed were typically intended for use against terrorists and foreign agents.
FBI Director Kash Patel is reportedly leading an internal examination of these operations. So far, findings suggest that some actions may have been founded on inaccurate or misleading information. Many files related to these investigations were inaccessible, even to some within the FBI.
Patel is supported by whistleblowers and a close group of senior FBI officials, along with members of Congress such as Senator Chuck Grassley. Investigations indicate a large-scale surveillance effort that compromised the privacy of individuals connected to Trump, including lawmakers, journalists, campaign staff, and defense attorneys.
One whistleblower revealed that monitoring of Trump associates persisted until shortly before his inauguration in January 2025. An audit also highlighted that over 1,200 individuals in categories deemed “special circumstances” faced FBI assessments between 2018 and 2024.
A senior official familiar with the review asserted that evidence could substantiate claims of civil rights violations. There is mounting indication that between 2016 and 2025, the FBI may have engaged in actions that violated the civil rights of Trump and his supporters.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon shared insights with respect to potential criminal charges if it’s proven that federal officials intentionally infringed upon civil liberties in these politically motivated efforts. “The Civil Rights Division and DOJ have the authority to apply criminal conspiracy statutes in such scenarios,” she stated.
Federal prosecutors in Miami, under U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, are probing alleged “weaponization” of intelligence and law enforcement while considering a conspiracy case extending across the 2016, 2020, and 2024 periods.
Two investigations are well-known: Crossfire Hurricane, connected to the now-debunked Russia collusion narrative, and Arctic Frost, which scrutinized Trump’s attempts to establish alternative electors ahead of the January 6 certification. According to reports, Arctic Frost investigated nearly 400 groups and individuals associated with Trump.
Meanwhile, the two intermediate probes, Round River and Plasmic Echo, are still undergoing declassification, which could reveal more concerning details. Plasmic Echo, relevant to the classified documents case at Mar-a-Lago, has already uncovered internal discussions among agents questioning the validity of probable cause for conducting searches.
“We continue to exchange versions back and forth while expressing concern about probable cause for any of the outlined locations…” one agent noted, signaling uncertainty within the bureau.
Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>
