November/December 2024
During a presentation by FBI special agent bomb techs, participants at an FBI Springfield Community Awareness Program learned about shock tube, which initiates shock to begin the detonation process. Energy travels through the tube at speeds greater than 6,500 feet per second, more than five times faster than the speed of sound.
Message from the Assistant Director, Office of Public Affairs
Hello, FBI Family,
For most of us, the holiday season is a time to celebrate with family and friends, but for criminals, it’s just another opportunity to play the Grinch by scamming innocent victims.
At the Office of Public Affairs, we’ve seen the public is eager to hear more from the FBI about how to avoid falling victim to frauds and scams. So, earlier this year, working with our partners in the Criminal Investigative Division and Cyber Division, we launched a six-week nationwide publicity campaign to increase awareness of frauds and scams affecting the public and to encourage reporting to law enforcement, especially to our Internet Crime Complaint Center, ic3.gov.
Scammers often try to create a false sense of urgency to lure victims into immediate action. To combat this, our campaign urged the public to “Take A Beat”: resist pressure to act quickly, pause for a moment, and assess the situation. We all know to “Stop, Drop, and Roll” if our clothes catch fire. When it comes to frauds and scams, OPA’s goal was to similarly remind the public what to do amid that false sense of urgency, that false fire, that scammers create.
Thanks to efforts at Headquarters and in field offices, FBI experts across the country spoke to the media about these threats, sharing valuable tips and insights in dozens of outlets, including Good Morning America, ABC News Live Prime, and “The Tamron Hall Show.”
We’ve also published a number of webpages, articles, podcasts, and videos detailing common frauds and scams. Ahead of the holidays, I’d ask that you please share these resources with your loved ones, friends, colleagues, and neighbors at fbi.gov/scams.
Thank you again, and as always, if you have any feedback for us, please send us a note at alumni@fbi.gov.
Happy Holidays,
Cathy Milhoan
By the Numbers:
Law Enforcement Deaths
View full chart
The leading circumstances surrounding the officers’ felonious deaths were related to investigative/enforcement activities (18 deaths), unprovoked attacks (eight deaths), and ambushes (six deaths).
Thirty-six law enforcement officers died under accidental circumstances in the line of duty in the first 10 months of 2024. This represents a 24.1% increase over the same period in 2023, for which 29 accidental line-of-duty deaths were reported to the FBI.
Thus far, the leading causes of accidental line-of-duty deaths in 2024 have been motor vehicle crashes (20 deaths) and pedestrian officers struck by vehicles (five deaths).
The southern region has the most law enforcement deaths in 2024 with 42 deaths total (22 felonious, 20 accidental).
These statistics are preliminary and may change as law enforcement agencies submit updates. Learn more.
Message from the Executive Assistant Director, Science and Technology Branch
I’ve had the privilege of leading the Science and Technology Branch for about two months, and two things stand out: our constant innovation as our personnel embrace and leverage technology to further our mission, and the dedication of those personnel to, as Director Wray often says, the people we do the work for and the people we do the work with. And that, as we all know, is the heart of the Bureau, past, present, and future: the people who take care of the mission, and of each other. 
I’ve shared a personal story several times in recent years as an example of this…
Like so many of us, my career was profoundly impacted by the 9/11 attacks. In response to the attacks, I remember seeing the country at its very best – cheering first responders; donating food and supplies and blood; and providing support to friends, neighbors, and strangers. I also saw the FBI at its very best – steadfastly and painstakingly compiling a record of what happened that day, always with the goal of doing justice and giving voice to the victims.
Because just as that horrific day demonstrated the presence of pure evil in our world and inflicted unimaginable suffering upon thousands, it also revealed remarkable courage and resilience by our citizens, first responders, health care workers, military, and law enforcement officers.
What we saw on September 12, and thereafter, was our collective strength – not the weakness the terrorists imagined. What we saw, in the face of evil, was a greater good.
A few months after 9/11, I returned to visit the New York Office from HQ, where I had relocated TDY in early October 2001 with other New York agents as part of the PENTTBOM investigative team. I was straightening up my desk when I found a piece of paper in a stack of documents. When I realized what it was – and what it meant – I was reminded of that collective strength.
It was a list, handwritten on September 11 by a JTTF squad mate, to keep track of those of us who had responded to the World Trade Center that morning.
I responded that morning to Ground Zero with Frank, a TFO from the NY/NJ Port Authority PD. And, as the list indicated, at 10:20 a.m., we were marked “ok” by our squad mate. Ultimately, all of our squad mates were located, safe and sound.
To this day, I keep this list in my cred case – but not as a reminder of the evil we witnessed on September 11. I keep it as a reminder of the greater good we saw in its aftermath.
On a day that our nation lost so many, the men and women on one particular squad in one particular field office on one particular day looked out for one another. This is who we are in the FBI, and it is a reminder of the collective strength of this great organization.
The FBI has changed over the years – for the better, in my opinion. But what has not changed is the heart of the FBI – the 35,000 people who take care of the mission, and of each other. With this strength, we will meet our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. And we will continue to mark each other as “ok” at the end of each day.
Jaqueline Maguire
News
'Take a Beat' Campaign Targets Scammer Tactics
One of the most common tactics scammers employ is a false sense of urgency or isolation. They may try to instill trust, induce empathy, or fear, or promise monetary gains, companionship, or employment opportunities—all to lure victims into immediate action. For this reason, the FBI’s awareness campaign urges the public to “Take A Beat”: resist pressure to act quickly, pause for a moment, and assess the situation.
According to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data, there have already been $1.6 billion in losses from January to May of 2024, which is nearly $300 million more from the same time last year.
"Fraud remains one of the most devastating violations the FBI works due to number of victims and the number of losses," said Executive Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. Details
- Common Frauds and Scams
- Inside the FBI podcast: Fighting Fraud
FBI’s Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) has been active in the remote western portions of North Carolina and East Tennessee that were most impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Saving Lives and Protecting Property
FBI personnel in communities affected by Hurricane Helene worked around the clock to enhance communications, support first responders, and assist communities as they continue to recover and rebuild following Hurricane Helene.
In North Carolina, the FBI Washington Field Office's Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) deployed to the hardest hit regions with a mission to provide public safety and security for FEMA officials and to preserve life and protect property. The FBI has also joined local authorities in the grim task of identifying victims in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.
Terror Suspect Captured
Daniel Andreas San Diego, who was wanted for his alleged involvement in two bombings in the San Francisco, California, area in 2003, was captured. Details
Director Christopher Wray said in a November 26 statement that the arrest "shows that no matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable."
Reflections of a Longtime Indian Country Agent: 'I Like the Chase'
Sam Davenport can't put an exact figure on the number of times he’s been called out in the middle of the night to crime scenes that are hours away and indiscernible on most maps. But the special agent, now in his 16th year in a remote Arizona outpost serving mostly Native American communities, says there’s no place he’d rather be.
Davenport is among more than 150 special agents across the country assigned to work on nearly 200 Native American reservations where the FBI is the lead investigative agency for significant crimes like homicides, kidnappings, and sexual assaults. The days are unpredictable, the terrain is challenging, and the majority of cases tend to be violent and heartbreaking. But for Davenport, the challenges are part of the job’s appeal. Details
Related: "Operation Not Forgotten" Shines new Light on Indian Country Cases
Sam Davenport has spent 16 years as the supervisory special agent of the Pinetop-Lakeside Resident Agency in Ariziona.
Top 10 News Headlines
- Murder-For-Hire Charges Against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Asset, Two Local Operatives
- West Chester Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact on an Aircraft
- Leader of International Stock Manipulation Ring Pleads Guilty
- Georgia Poll Worker Arrested for Making Bomb Threat to Election Workers
- Man Charged with Attempting to Use a WMD to Destroy an Energy Facility in Nashville
- Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Attack at Direction of Al Shabaab
- California Teenager Pleads Guilty in Florida to Making Hundreds of ‘Swatting’ Calls Across U.S.
- Kansas City Woman Sentenced to 45 Years for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child Victims
- Former Air National Guardsman Sentenced for Disclosing Classified National Defense Information
- U.S. Government Employee Charged with Unlawfully Transmitting National Defense Information
Behind the Mic
James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, discussed the role of the National Election Command Post at FBI Headquarters in the days before the presidential election. The command post was located in the Bureau's Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) at Headquarters.
Podcast: Mapping the World of Organized Crime
On part one of Inside the FBI's deep dive into organized crime, we define transnational organized crime and explain its current ecosystem. Details
In Case You Missed It
An FBI database established in 2021 to help prevent law enforcement suicides and increase awareness and understanding of the occurrences is now online.
The Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection was recently added to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer platform. The collection displays the most current information about suicides and suicide attempts from participating law enforcement agencies.
Details
This series features stories, images, and videos produced by the team that manages fbi.gov.
Features
FBI, Retired Employees Build Bonds
Director Wray met with Society of Former Special Agents (SFSA) members and values their efforts to inform the public about the FBI.
“You don’t stop being an agent when you retire,” said Mike Clark, president of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (SFSA). “That oath of fidelity, bravery and integrity is something we carry with us our whole life.”
He believes many FBI agents, proud of the roles they have played not only in FBI history, but in U.S. history, continue to support the Bureau long after active duty. “Taking that oath of office was a defining moment of my life. It was a dream for me to serve as a federal agent as long as I did,” he said. As president of the SFSA, he attests it’s a little easier than being an agent.
Former agents make good ambassadors of the FBI at large. “We’re out there interacting with the public all the time. We’re happy to enlighten them on how some things have happened and some of the challenges of the job,” Clark said.
When Director Wray wanted to strengthen the ties between the Society and the FBI several years ago, he asked the Human Resources Branch to host groups of SFSA chapter chairs at the FBI Academy to witness a new agent graduation. Through VIP tours, Society leaders saw for themselves the quality of agents being hired and how the training experience has changed with the evolving needs of the Bureau’s mission.
“Adjustments are continuously made to meet the requirements of ever-changing threats. Many of us older agents say we’re glad to have gotten in when we did after seeing the profile of graduating class participants. More than 40 percent of the new agents have advanced degrees, speak several languages and receive high marks in physical fitness and marksmanship,” Clark said.
Nine chairs of the Society representing former agents from across the country toured the FBI Academy on July 19. Retired from active FBI duty since at least 2018, they recognized that the training was impressive and more advanced since their time at Quantico.
"You don’t stop being an agent when you retire."
Mike Clark, president, Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (SFSA)
The Director and Mike Clark, SFSA president, enjoyed a light moment during breakfast.
They viewed the newest equipment and watched the Firearms Training Unit workout, saw a defensive tactics demonstration and toured the enhanced Hogan’s Alley. They relived some of their old experiences with other formers, sharing stories and eating in the cafeteria.
They may have felt a bit nostalgic as they watched the new agents from BFTC 24-03 receive their credentials in the auditorium, then perhaps some humility as they were acknowledged with a standing ovation by the entire assembly.
The highlight of the day was the private meeting with Director Wray, who emphasized the special role former agents still play inside the FBI and with the public.
“The Director throws it open with, ‘What do you want to talk about?’ He doesn’t shy away from any questions — but won’t discuss ongoing cases. I love when his staff tries to get him to go, then he stays another 10 to 15 minutes talking with the retired guys who ask tough questions. They’re really tuned in,” Clark said.
Director Wray encourages the formers to remain active and help build the Bureau’s future, emphasizing that politicians and media do not know the FBI like the former agents do.
“You are in the best position to add sorely needed nuance to the discussion. We care deeply about what you think,” said Director Wray. “Keep talking about the FBI you know and respect.”
Nancy Savage, the SFSA’s executive director, applauds this program.
“After a day at the Academy seeing firsthand agent selection and modernized training practices, they’re much better informed,” she said. “What they say to the media is much more accurate than what is in the news cycle these days. Plus, it gives the chapter chairs a venue to share their members’ recommendations with the FBI’s leadership.”
Clark said that increasing communications between the FBI and chapter members is one of his top goals as SFSA president. He sees the Bureau’s alumni program, the outreach efforts to Citizens Academies and building strong partnerships with private industry and the law enforcement community as keeping all these stakeholders much better informed.
"You are in the best position to add sorely needed nuance to the discussion. We care deeply about what you think. Keep talking about the FBI you know and respect."
FBI Director Wray
There’s always a lot of interest and commentary in cases and direction, and when the Director testifies, Clark gets emails and questions as do other former agents. He admits being known in his circle as “the FBI guy.” Even the members of his church group’s soup kitchen solicit his opinion.
In 2023, the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) formally launched the Alumni E-Brief, a monthly newsletter for members of the SFSA; the FBI Agents Association; FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association; the FBI National Academy Associates; the FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association; the FBI National Executive Institute Associates; InfraGard; and the Society of FBI Alumni. These groups now receive information via organized outreach.
“I send the E-Brief to the regional VPs, who send to chapter chairs who send to members. It doesn’t get stove piped, but it is sent only to the Society with its 8,500 members,” Clark said.
After a year of publication, the Alumni E-Brief statistics are encouraging. Up to 4,000 people read it every month, sometimes 5,000 readers.
“The Director often says the FBI is one of the few organizations people care about, not only while they are active, but for decades after they leave. Reaching out to FBI alumni is a way to ensure our agents, professional staff, Citizens Academy alumni and many of our other partners remain part of the FBI family,” said OPA Assistant Director Cathy Milhoan.
“In today’s complex news and information environment, we need FBI advocates,” she said. “Giving our alumni the most current information ensures that they have the facts when they talk with the media, their communities, neighbors and others to keep them accurately informed. This increased outreach helps the FBI and the ‘formers’ reach the same goal … to share the good work of the FBI with the public."
"Reaching out to FBI alumni is a way to ensure our agents, professional staff, Citizens Academy alumni and many of our other partners remain part of the FBI family."
Cathy Milhoan, assistant director, Office of Public Affairs
'Security is a Shared Responsibility'
Director Attends InfraGard Conference, Highlights Promotional Video
Director Wray attended InfraGard's annual conference in September in Orlando, Florida.
InfraGard held its annual conference on September 22-23, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. The organization is a partnership between the FBI and members of the private sector for the protection of U.S. Critical Infrastructure.The conference consisted of two events – InfraGard Congress, which convened the InfraGard National Members Alliance and representatives from local InfraGard Members Alliances across the country, and the InfraGard Leadership Summit (ILS), which added the FBI’s Office of Private Sector and Private Sector Coordinators from the field. The ILS featured several sessions, including the annual awards ceremony, a briefing on the FBI’s Threat Review and Prioritization Process, and a panel discussion with Special Agents in Charge (SACs) Stacey Moy and Robert Tripp of the San Diego and San Francisco Field Offices.
FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered the keynote speech, a highlight of the event. After his speech, Director Wray released a promotional video highlighting the impact and value of InfraGard.
The three-minute video produced by the FBI, was created to drive growth and engagement. The video features InfraGard members and emphasizes how the program’s partnerships play an important role in protecting critical infrastructure.
The powerful testimonials reinforce the FBI’s belief that “security is a shared responsibility between the U.S. business community and law enforcement.”
LEB Spotlight
The FBI’s Legacy Body Armor Program
Ballistic protective armor is normally intended to help protect law enforcement officers from severe injury or death while on duty. It is unthinkable for today’s police personnel to go into a situation like the North Hollywood shootout without body armor or with some type of low-quality body armor kit. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Police Department purchased quality ballistic protective armor for its officers. However, far too many agencies around the country lack the necessary funding for this lifesaving equipment.
As it stands, officers who serve with departments unable to provide protective equipment then must choose to either buy their own or go without entirely. When considering the former option, it seems that most, if not all, privately purchased equipment will necessarily be of significantly lower quality. The latter scenario is patently unacceptable.
To this end, the FBI, through its Defensive Systems Unit, is unveiling a new program intended to directly assist underfunded state and local law enforcement partners by donating its surplus body armor. Formally titled the Legacy Body Armor program, this endeavor aims to help alleviate some of the financial burden on departments that do not possess the requisite funding to purchase appropriate body armor for their officers.
- Michael Young, FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate
Director Wray has approved of issuance of body armor to smaller, underfunded state and local law enforcement partners that do not have funding to sufficiently provide such equipment for their sworn personnel.
Community Outreach Spotlight
FBI and Community Partners Shine Light on Diwali Celebrations
Millions Around World Mark Belief in Faith, Hope, and Goodness
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Jackson, Mississippi, displays the joy of the Diwali holiday through light, food, and a belief in the triumph of good over evil.
Scents of chai, curry, and assorted spices filled the air while FBI employees joined friends, family, and community partners for this year’s celebration of Diwali. This holiday – dating back more than 2,500 years – is marked every year in temples and community centers across the country by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and people of Indian descent. This holiday – based on the lunar calendar – runs for five days (from October 31st to November 4th this year.)
“Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most vibrant and meaningful festivals in the Hindu calendar. Diwali’s messages of faith, hope, goodness, and community are central to its celebrations globally,” said Nayan Mehta of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Jackson, Mississippi. He invited the FBI to “enjoy the colors, lights, and tastes of Diwali, including the Annakut—a special offering where a variety of vegetarian delicacies are devotionally and placed before God as an expression of gratitude and devotion.”
Supervisory Special Agent Osman Melyas takes part in the important ritual of lighting a candle in a Diwali celebration at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Jackson, Mississippi.
Food is an important feature of Diwali celebrations around the world, including at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Jackson, Mississippi.
While each faith or heritage has its own foundational beliefs that mark their Diwali celebrations, the holiday generally represents the triumph of good over evil. The lighting of lamps (called “diyas”) symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.
In Sacramento, the FBI joined more than 3,000 people at a Hindu temple for the chance to learn and share in the Diwali blessings and prayers. In Jackson, the agents and staff visited a temple adorned with statues representing important deities as well as colorful palm trees, beach balls, and even an inflatable boat. Staff there were able to take part in the candle lighting, abhishek (wish making), and prayer ceremony. In Charlotte, the employees enjoyed watching as children moved in a traditional dance and fireworks lit the sky. The Dallas and Cleveland FBI staff also took the initiative to develop deeper understanding with their Hindu and Sikh partners during this time of celebration.
The FBI and families at the Hindu Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, celebrate the holiday of Diwali also known as the “Festival of Lights.”
These relationships do not start and end with Diwali, however. Over time, FBI community outreach specialists and special agents in charge at our 55 field offices have been working to grow these connections. The constant threat of hate crimes or civil rights violations targeting those in the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist or other South Asian communities can leave them particularly vulnerable. For that reason, the FBI knows that whether we are joining in holiday celebrations or working side-by-side on a daily basis, every step forward helps keep our shared communities safer.
If you would like to learn more about the FBI’s community outreach work, please go to FBI.gov/outreach.
History
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Library of Congress photograph.
Pearl Harbor Spy
On February 21, 1942, just 76 days after the tragic December 7, 1041 attack on Pearl Harbor, Bernard Julius Otto Kuehn was found guilty of spying and sentenced to be shot “by musketry” in Honolulu.
What was a German national doing in Hawaii in the days leading up to the attack? What exactly did Kuehn do to warrant such a sentence?
FBI Vault: Pearl Harbor Attack
Mug shot of Bernard Julius Otto Kuehn in 1942. National Archives photograph.
The FBI Alumni E-Brief is distributed bi-monthly through our alumni and family organizations. These groups share it through their membership lists, we do not maintain an individual email list. Currently, the groups receiving the AEB are:
- The Society of FBI Alumni
- Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI
- FBI Agents Association
- FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association
- FBI National Academy Associates
- FBI National Executive Institute Associates
- FBI LEEDA
- InfraGard
- Not a member of one of these organizations? The AEB is on Facebook: FBI-Federal Bureau of Investigation Family (Current/Retired)
If you are aware of another group to assist in sharing this AEB with the FBI family, please let us know. You can also send content suggestions, photo or story submissions, as well as critiques to alumni@fbi.gov.
