Watch CBS News

If Trump Sends Federal Agents To Baltimore And They Engage In 'Illegal Vigilante Activities,' They Will Be Charged, Mosby Says

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Days after President Donald Trump suggested Baltimore could see additional federal law enforcement officers on the ground to combat violent crime, the city's state's attorney penned an op-ed saying those officers will be prosecuted if they "engage in the same illegal vigilante activities" being reported elsewhere.

In an op-ed published Thursday in The Washington Post and co-authored by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, Mosby decried the clashes between federal agents and protesters in Portland, Oregon, including an incident Wednesday night in which the city's mayor was tear-gassed.

If similar clashes were to happen in Baltimore or Philadelphia, the attorneys wrote, they would be prosecuted.

RELATED COVERAGE:

"Should Trump send federal agents who engage in the same illegal vigilante activities, unlawfully assaulting and kidnapping people, they will face criminal charges from our offices. The authority of city officials to prosecute federal law enforcement officials is clear," Mosby and Krasner wrote.

>>WJZ has a new news app! Download it now!<<

Earlier Wednesday, Trump announced a surge of hundreds of federal law enforcement officials would head to Chicago, Kansas City and Albuquerque, New Mexico, as part of Operation LeGend, a program aimed at combating violent crime. While the president included Baltimore in a list of possible cities that could see federal agents, it was not included in Wednesday's announcement, though U.S. Attorney General William Barr said more cities will be added in the coming weeks.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.