Trump Targeted by Four FBI Counterintelligence Operations Over Decade, Ensnaring Hundreds
The operations, code-named Crossfire Hurricane, Round River, Plasmic Echo, and Arctic Frost, were reviewed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who is building a criminal case for one and planning declassifications for two others to expose abuses.
WASHINGTON – President Trump was the focus of four consecutive FBI counterintelligence investigations spanning nearly a decade, from 2016 to 2025, which secretly monitored hundreds of Americans using invasive tactics and treated him as a national security threat, according to reporting by Just the News based on whistleblowers, senior FBI executives, and congressional sources.
The operations, code-named Crossfire Hurricane, Round River, Plasmic Echo, and Arctic Frost, were reviewed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who is building a criminal case for one and planning declassifications for two others to expose abuses. These probes utilized warrants, wiretaps, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court approvals, phone record analysis, grand juries, and assessments, often targeting individuals with constitutional protections like lawyers, journalists, and members of Congress.
The history of these investigations traces back to the 2016 election, amid allegations of Russian interference. Crossfire Hurricane, launched in July 2016, examined claims of Trump-Russia collusion, predicated on the discredited Steele Dossier funded by the Clinton campaign. Declassified documents show the dossier was misused in the 2017 U.S. intelligence community assessment on Russian meddling, misleading Congress. The probe expanded to surveil Trump associates like Carter Page under FISA warrants, later criticized by the Justice Department's inspector general for inaccuracies.
Round River, initiated in the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, targeted Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani for investigating Hunter Biden's Ukraine activities, then broadened to public figures questioning Biden family corruption. Whistleblowers revealed it labeled such inquiries as "Russian disinformation," potentially investigating reporters, lawmakers, and others based on speech. It impeded Attorney General Bill Barr's efforts to probe Biden corruption allegations. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson highlighted a 2020 FBI briefing that undermined their investigation, falsely portraying derogatory Hunter Biden information as disinformation.
Plasmic Echo, the codename for the investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, began post-2020 presidency. FBI agents expressed concerns over probable cause for a search warrant, with internal notes questioning the basis without new information. Despite this, the Justice Department proceeded, leading to the August 2022 raid approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland. The probe involved obtaining phone records of Trump figures, including Patel and Susie Wiles, with a disputed wiretap on Wiles' call. Wiles' lawyer denied consenting to the intercept, calling it unethical.
Arctic Frost examined Trump's alternate electors strategy ahead of January 6, 2021, targeting nearly 400 conservative groups and individuals. Evidence shows it monitored and paid anti-Trump informants labeled "sedition hunters," expanding surveillance under the guise of national security.
These operations, post-9/11 expansions of FBI counterterrorism powers, were allegedly politicized, ensnaring innocent Americans. An audit revealed 1,200 assessments on protected targets like Congress members between 2018 and 2024 under Director Chris Wray. Files were often "prohibited access" and stored in secure compartments, limiting internal oversight.
Broader lawfare against Trump included the Mueller special counsel probe (stemming from Crossfire Hurricane), impeachments, and state prosecutions like the New York hush money case and Georgia election interference charges. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon noted potential criminal conspiracy charges for rights violations. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones is probing weaponization of intelligence against Trump.
Grassley raised concerns in a 2022 letter about the FBI's false labeling of Hunter Biden information as disinformation. A senior official suggested evidence supports a conspiracy to violate civil rights under government authority.
The revelations come amid Patel's firings of agents involved in Trump probes, including those in counterintelligence units focused on Iran, sparking concerns over national security impacts. Critics argue these operations reflect deep-state bias, while supporters see them as necessary investigations.
This ongoing scrutiny highlights debates over FBI powers and accountability in political contexts.