Jeffrey C. Mazanec Named Special Agent in Charge of Richmond Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Jeffrey C. Mazanec special agent in charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. Mr. Mazanec most recently served as the deputy assistant director of the Office of Public Affairs at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Mazanec began his career as a special agent with the FBI in 1988. He first reported to the Washington Field Office, where he worked white-collar crime, government fraud, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and special inquiry investigations. In 1995, he was promoted to the Counterterrorism Section at FBI Headquarters. While there, he was involved with several high-profile investigations, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, and the 1996 Olympics bombing.

He was transferred to the Atlanta Division in 1997 to lead the Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he oversaw the investigation of two bombings for which Eric Rudolph was later convicted and sentenced. He also supervised the Evidence Response Team and managed weapons of mass destruction, HAZMAT, and bomb responses.

In 2001, Mr. Mazanec was detailed to the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center to help coordinate the intelligence and law enforcement efforts in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. In 2005, he was promoted to assistant section chief in the Counterterrorism Division, overseeing all overseas counterterrorism investigations, to include providing assistance to the British authorities following the London bombings.

Mr. Mazanec was selected to serve as assistant special agent in charge of the Security Branch at the Washington Field Office in 2006, where he oversaw the protective detail programs, crisis management, and the construction of the new Manassas Resident Agency. In 2007, he served as the first FBI chair at the National Defense University, teaching graduate-level national security courses on strategy, policy, interagency cooperation, law enforcement, terrorism, and intelligence to the senior-level interagency community.

In 2008, he was promoted to section chief in the Training Division, where he helped establish the FBI School of Intelligence at Quantico, Virginia. He also served as the acting deputy assistant director of the division until he was named deputy assistant director of the Office of Public Affairs in 2010. In this role, he worked to communicate the mission of the FBI and oversaw the FBI’s community outreach program and other strategic public engagement programs.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and history from Liberty University, a Juris Doctorate from the College of William and Mary, and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National War College. He also has a license to practice law in Virginia.

Mr. Mazanec is married and has two children.

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR ATF CHICAGO FIELD DIVISION

CHICAGO — W. Larry Ford has returned as the SAC of the ATF Chicago Field Division, which encompasses the entire state of Illinois. Ford brings over 28 years of ATF law enforcement experience to the Chicago Field Division.

Ford most recently served as the Assistant Director of ATF's Office of Field Operations. He oversaw a staff of over 3,000 special agents, industry operations investigators and professionals located across the nation who conduct ATF's criminal enforcement operations and regulatory inspections. Prior to that assignment he was the Assistant Director of the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information. From December 2004 to August 2010, Ford was the Assistant Director of the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs.

"I am thrilled to return to the Chicago Field Division and have the opportunity to reunite with some of the best investigators in ATF and the finest federal, state, local, industry and community partners in combating violent crime. The mission of ATF is critically important to the citizens of Illinois," said Ford.

Ford received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Toledo and is a 2008 member of the National Executive Institute. He is a member of a number of national law enforcement organizations and has served on their executive and policy committees. In 2008, his exceptional public service was recognized with the prestigious Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive.

More information on ATF and its programs may be located at ATF.gov

Gary Douglas Perdue Named Special Agent in Charge of Pittsburgh Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Gary Douglas Perdue special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Division. Mr. Perdue most recently served as chief of the Counterproliferation Center in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Perdue began his career with the FBI as a contract language specialist in 1985. He became a special agent in 1989 and reported to the Detroit Division. While there, he received several commendations for his various roles in significant counterterrorism and counter-narcotics investigations.

In 1996, Mr. Perdue was assigned to the International Terrorism Operations Section at FBI Headquarters as a program manager and later as chief of the Radical Fundamentalists Unit. He led responses to the 1998 East Africa bombings, the 1999 Egypt Air investigation, as well as multiple domestic and international terrorism investigations.

Mr. Perdue was promoted to international terrorism program coordinator and squad supervisor of a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in the Baltimore Division in 2001. He managed Baltimore’s response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and assisted in initiating Baltimore’s first JTTF and multi-agency fusion center. During this time, Mr. Perdue also served as the FBI’s on-scene commander at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In 2006, Mr. Perdue was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Counterterrorism Branch in the Washington Field Office. In this role, he had executive management oversight of squads that focused on domestic terrorism and weapons of mass destruction investigations, Joint Terrorism Task Force operations, and extraterritorial investigations in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

In 2008, Mr. Perdue was promoted to chief of the Investigations and Operations Section in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate and, in 2009, he became the chief to the Countermeasures and Preparedness Section.

In February 2012, Mr. Perdue was selected to be chief of the FBI’s Counterproliferation Center, which combines the resources of the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, Counterintelligence Division, and the Directorate of Intelligence to detect, deter, and defeat the threat posed by state-sponsored groups to obtain weapons of mass destruction and sensitive technologies.

Mr. Perdue received a degree in government and politics and economics in 1988 from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science in national security strategy from the National Defense University’s National War College in 2008.

Robert D. Foley, III Named Special Agent in Charge of Detroit Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Robert D. Foley, III special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. Mr. Foley most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Administrative Division in the Washington Field Office.

Mr. Foley entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI in September 1996. He first reported to the Bridgeport Resident Agency in the New Haven Division, where he investigated violent crimes, gangs, and narcotics matters. He was also a member of the SWAT team and served as a firearms instructor.

In 1999, Mr. Foley transferred to the San Juan Division and investigated police corruption, gang,s and narcotics matters. In 2003, Mr. Foley was promoted to supervisory special agent at FBI Headquarters, where he was assigned as an agent attorney in the Office of General Counsel. He later moved to the Public Corruption Unit in the Criminal Investigative Division.

In 2005, Mr. Foley reported to the Tucson Resident Agency in the Phoenix Division. While there, he supervised a Joint Terrorism Task Force and a Criminal Enterprise Squad. He was then assigned senior supervisory resident agent of the Yuma and Lake Havasu Resident Agencies to supervise all FBI investigative programs in the area, with an emphasis on counterterrorism matters, public corruption, and Indian Country crimes.

Mr. Foley returned to FBI Headquarters in 2007 as the chief of the Transfer Unit in the Human Resources Division. In this role, he was responsible for all agent and professional staff transfers. In 2008, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch in the Louisville Division, where he also oversaw eight resident agencies and the Administrative program.

In 2009, Mr. Foley was promoted to chief of the Employee Services Section in the Human Resources Division. While there, he supervised the FBI’s payroll and personnel actions processing, transfers, employee relations, benefits, and awards programs, as well as the HRD Call Center. Mr. Foley was then assigned chief of the Employee Development and Selection Program Section, with responsibility for promotional processes and supervisor development.

Mr. Foley is originally from Massachusetts and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhode Island College, a Master of Science degree in business administration from Boston University, and a Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law-Boston. Before joining the FBI, Mr. Foley served six years as an aviator in the U.S. Army. He is married and has a daughter.

Rafael J. Garcia, Jr. Named Special Agent in Charge of the Intelligence Division at FBI Los Angeles

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Rafael J. Garcia, Jr. the special agent in charge of the Intelligence Division at FBI Los Angeles. Mr. Garcia most recently served as director of the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC) in Quantico, Virginia. TEDAC provides direct support to broader U.S. government efforts to prevent and mitigate improvised-explosive device attacks by performing advanced exploitation of IEDs through physical examination resulting in scientific and technical information and intelligence of value.

Mr. Garcia joined the FBI in 1995. As a special agent assigned to the Phoenix Field Office, he investigated drug, organized crime, and terrorism cases and served as a Weapons of Mass Destruction program coordinator. While assigned to FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1999, Mr. Garcia held several positions related to intelligence and counterterrorism, including chief of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Countermeasures Unit.

In 2004, Mr. Garcia served as the FBI’s deputy on-scene commander in Iraq. In this role, he was responsible for the day-to-day operational activity of FBI personnel, among others. In 2007, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Philadelphia Field Office. In this role, he supervised the Field Intelligence Group and Intelligence program as well as the White-Collar, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights programs.

An émigré from Cuba, Mr. Garcia was raised in Baltimore and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy. During his 12 years in the military, he served in infantry, ranger, and aviation units, to include a combat tour as an Apache attack helicopter company commander with the 101st Airborne Division during the 1991 Gulf War and as a battalion operations officer after the war. Mr. Garcia left the U.S. Army in 1995 to join the FBI.

He has a Master of Counseling degree from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Science degree in strategic intelligence from the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint Military Intelligence College.

April Brooks Named Special Agent in Charge of Criminal Division in New York

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named April Brooks special agent in charge of the Criminal Division in the FBI’s New York Division. Ms. Brooks most recently served as special assistant to the executive assistant director of the Human Resources Branch.

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Ms. Brooks began her career as a special agent with the FBI in July 1990. She first reported to the Los Angeles Division, where she investigated white-collar crime, violent crime, violent gangs, drugs, and crimes against children.

In September 2000, Ms. Brooks was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit at FBI Headquarters. In this role, she oversaw the Innocent Images National Initiative as well as child abductions and international parental kidnapping investigations. In December 2002, she was reassigned to the newly established Cyber Division to continue oversight of the Innocent Images National Initiative.

Ms. Brooks was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Baltimore Division in September 2003. While there, she served as the crisis management coordinator and was responsible for the Criminal Enterprise Program. In January 2004, she was named the supervisor responsible for an investigation involving the death of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathon Luna, District of Maryland.

In August 2007, Ms. Brooks was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Intelligence, Counterterrorism, and Special Operations Programs in the Baltimore Division. In January 2008, she was selected to oversee the Intelligence Branch, including the HUMINT, Foreign Language, and Applicant Programs, along with the division’s cross-programmatic capabilities.

In February 2010, Ms. Brooks was promoted into the Senior Executive Service as an inspector in the Inspection Division. In 2012, she was named special assistant to the executive assistant director of the Human Resources Branch.

Ms. Brooks received a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Oklahoma Baptist University.

Michael Kaste Named Special Agent in Charge of Kansas City Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III today named Michael Kaste special agent in charge of the FBI’s Kansas City Division. Mr. Kaste has served as section chief of the Internal Investigations Section at FBI Headquarters (FBIHQ) since August 2010, where he was responsible for the investigative phase of the FBI’s internal disciplinary process.

Mr. Kaste began his career with the FBI in 1988. His first assignment was to the Chicago Division, where he investigated white-collar crime, organized crime, and drug-related matters. In this role, Mr. Kaste initiated a Public Aid Fraud investigation that uncovered more than $2 million in fraudulent public aid. The investigation also exposed a number of corrupt city of Chicago employees and resulted in the conviction of more than 30 subjects. In addition, Mr. Kaste served as co-case agent on a Mexican/Colombian drug investigation that resulted in the seizure of 1,200 kilograms of cocaine—one of the largest single seizures of cocaine in the state of Illinois.

In 1996, Mr. Kaste was promoted to FBIHQ, where he was assigned to the Latin American/Colombian Unit. In this role, he developed the Enterprise Theory of Investigation (ETI) training program, which was implemented throughout the FBI. This program provides FBI agents with training in sophisticated investigative techniques, to include Title III intercepts, undercover operations, and drug buys.

In 1999, Mr. Kaste was assigned to the Albany Division, where he was responsible for matters involving criminal enterprises, violent crime, and cyber security. In 2001, Mr. Kaste formed the division’s first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). He also supervised both a Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) and an FBI Innocent Images National Initiative Task Force targeting online child predators.

In 2007, Mr. Kaste was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the St. Louis Division. In this role, he oversaw the National Security, Intelligence, and SWAT programs as well as several resident agencies. In 2009, Mr. Kaste assumed responsibility for the Criminal and Cyber Programs in St. Louis. He also served as the deputy on-scene commander in Iraq for five months between 2008 and 2009, where he worked closely with the Department of Defense.

In August 2010, Mr. Kaste was promoted to his most recent position as section chief of the Internal Investigations Section (FBIHQ).

Mr. Kaste is a 1983 graduate of Norwich University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is also a 2006 graduate of Marist College, where he received his master’s degree in public administration. He served in the United States Army as an infantry officer for four years. Mr. Kaste and his wife Tracey have two children.

New U.S. Customs and Border Protection Santa Teresa Port Director Introduced at Change of Command Ceremony

Santa Teresa, N.M. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Santa Teresa Port Director Joanne Thale-Lembo was formally sworn into office this afternoon at CBP Field Operations change of command ceremony. Family, friends, colleagues and local dignitaries gathered as Thale-Lembo recited the oath of office during a ceremony at the Santa Teresa Country Club.

“It is an honor to be selected to lead and direct CBP operations at the Santa Teresa port of entry,” said Port Director Thale-Lembo. “The port plays an important role in the region and I look forward to the responsibility of providing leadership as the port continues to grow and expand to better serve the residents of New Mexico and northern Chihuahua.”

As port director, Thale-Lembo will direct operations and enforcement activities at the Santa Teresa port of entry as well as CBP operations at the Albuquerque International Airport. She will oversee CBP employees at these locations including CBP officers, Agriculture Specialists, Canine Enforcement Officers, and other personnel working in other disciplines.

Thale-Lembo will work to ensure that the agency’s primary mission of preventing terrorists or weapons of terror from entering the United States is accomplished on a daily basis. Ms. Thale-Lembo is also responsible for all immigration issues related to the admission and exclusion of people applying for entry into the United States. She also is responsible for customs and agriculture inspections at the ports of entry to ensure that all goods and people entering the United States do so in accordance with our laws and regulations, while ensuring that they are facilitated in their processing to support the global market place and the international tourism industries.

Thale-Lembo began her career with U. S. Customs and Border Protection (U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service) in August of 1993 as an inspector at the Pittsburgh international airport. She had also worked as an inspector in Calexico port the Seattle seaport. Thale-Lembo was promoted to Special Operations inspector in 2000 and she worked closely with the FBI as they screened and interviewed individuals in Pennsylvania and West Virginia after September 2011.

She was then assigned to represent CBP at the U.S. Embassy Attachés office in Ontario, Canada in 2005. The work there included northern border security and terrorist tracking pursuant to the U.S./Canadian Safe Third Party Agreement. Thale-Lembo was temporarily assigned to the CBP Admissibility Review Office and the CBP Field Operations Academy in 2005 before receiving a promotion to a supervisory and then chief CBPO in Savannah, Georgia. She was then selected as a Supervisory Course Developer/Instructor for the CBP Field Operations Academy (FOA) in Glynco, Georgia. In September 2009, she accepted the position of Branch Chief of the FOA Firearms Division. One year later, she took on the role of Acting Assistant Director overseeing the Firearms Division.

Thale-Lembo received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Penn State University and Robert Morris University. She is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is married and has one daughter.

CBP Field Operations in 2008 adopted formal change of command ceremonies as another way to unify the workforce and highlight the agency mission. Since its inception in March 2003, CBP has developed and implemented standards, policies and symbols to advance the internal and external recognition of the agency and to demonstrate the strides the agency has made as the guardians of the nation’s borders. The change of command ceremony is designed to meet those goals.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.