West Virginia National Guard troops are now being sent to Washington, DC, in an escalation of President Donald Trump’s efforts to federally take over law enforcement in the city.

National Guard troops pulled up in front of the Washington Monument on Aug. 12. They weren't armed then, but they could be soon, Army officials said.

The Democratic mayor reversed her tone towards Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard to combat crime in her city.

Legal experts say when National Guard members are deployed into what could be volatile situations with citizens, they could be opened to civil or even criminal liability.

National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations around Washington, D.C., as of Thursday morning, according to a Department of Defense official. It's part of President Donald Trump's plan to address crime in Washington by taking over the city's police department and deploying the National Guard troops.

A National Guard deployment reacheed 400 members in Washington as a federal operation began targeting crime and homelessness around the clock Wednesday.

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Residents in one Washington, D.C., neighborhood protested the arrival of National Guard troops in the city as President Trump continues efforts to ramp-up crime enforcement in the nation's capital.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a directive issued Thursday evening that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume “powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.” The Metropolitan Police Department “must receive approval from Commissioner Cole” before issuing any orders,