June 28th 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has made history as James Smith has been named the first African American director of the New York office. With over two decades of experience in the bureau, Smith has worked on numerous counter-terrorism, national security, and cyber investigations.
He started his FBI career in 2004, and was assigned to investigate MR-13 gang members and other organized criminal groups. In 2012, the Massachusetts native was then moved to the International Violent Crimes Unit, where he managed international hostage-takings, major crimes, and fugitive matters.
Afterwards, Smith was supervisor of the Violent Crimes Against Children Squad in Los Angeles before taking on the challenge of leading the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Squad, which focused on Mexican criminal enterprise investigations, the Compton Safe Streets Task Force, and other crime task forces.
In 2016, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the San Antonio Field Office. In this position, Smith was in charge of national security, intelligence, cyber, language services, surveillance, and aviation programs. Most notably, Smith oversaw the investigation into the serial bombings in Austin which resulted in two deaths and five injured individuals.
Smith's journey to the FBI was an unlikely one. He was 36 when he entered the academy, and he just barely missed the cutoff age of 37 to join the bureau. His unconventional route to the FBI may have influenced the way he works, as he does not put the blame on marginalized communities, which is often the case with local law enforcement.
When talking about criminal activity, Smith said, "They [criminals] adjust to various types of crimes. They learn from the mistakes they’ve made and now they are going forward with new tactics.” His unique approach may be instrumental in reducing the country's crime rates.
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