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FBI agents conducted a raid early Friday at the Bethesda, Maryland, residence of former National Security Adviser John Bolton, as part of an ongoing high-profile national security investigation, according to The New York Post.
The operation, which began at approximately 7 a.m. ET, was reportedly authorized by FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel, a former Trump administration official, later shared a brief message on X: “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi shared Patel’s message in her own post to X: “America’s safety isn’t negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always.”
Law enforcement sources told the Post that the probe centers on classified documents as part of an investigation that was initially launched several years ago but was allegedly suspended under the Biden administration “for political reasons.”
Bolton has previously been under scrutiny concerning his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.” Critics, including then-President Donald Trump, alleged that the publication contained national security secrets.
Trump attempted to block the book’s release, claiming Bolton violated a non-disclosure agreement. The Department of Justice opened an investigation into the matter at that time.
Patel has accused former FBI Director James Comey of permitting leaks of classified material and has repeatedly called for exposing corruption and cover-ups within government.
As of Friday morning, Bolton had not issued a public statement. It remains unclear what, if any, documents were seized, what charges could result or how the investigation may evolve.
Bolton also released a message on X during the time of the raid, though it is unclear whether the post had been previously scheduled.
“Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede territory it already holds and the remainder of Donetsk, which it has been unable to conquer. Zelensky will never do so. Meanwhile, meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t see these talks making any progress,” he wrote.