Spring 2025
An FBI Los Angeles special agent prepares for an early morning search in Los Angeles related to Operation RapTor, an FBI-led global law enforcement effort targeting illegal drug trafficking on the darknet. The multi-agency operation on four continents led to arrests of 270 vendors, buyers, and administrators suspected of trafficking fentanyl and other illegal drugs. Details
Message from the Director
Director Kash Patel on May 12 delivered the following message to the workforce in recognition of National Police Week. 
Every May since 1962, our nation has observed Police Week — a time to recognize and commend the brave men and women of law enforcement who have taken an oath to serve and protect, and to remember and honor those who have given their lives in the line of duty.
Sadly, far too many who made the ultimate sacrifice have been our own FBI colleagues. When I took on the role of Director earlier this year, my first stop was the Wall of Honor at Headquarters, where I paid tribute to each employee whose name is inscribed there. I encourage all of you to visit the Wall of Honor in your own offices to reflect on their bravery and sacrifice.
This year we’ll add the names of two employees: Special Agent Donald Kleber and Evidence Technician Melica Sanders. Both spent weeks recovering evidence following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and ultimately died because of their exposure to toxic debris and contaminants. They were our friends and colleagues, and their legacy of courage and commitment to duty inspires all of us.
To everyone throughout the Bureau who’s chosen to wear the badge, please know that this week and every week, you have my deepest gratitude for all you’ve done — and all you continue to do — to keep our communities safe. Thank you for your service to the FBI and to the American people.
You can always send feedback or reach out to us at alumni@fbi.gov.
By the Numbers: Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program on May 12 released the "Officers Killed and Assaulted in the Line of Duty, 2024
Special Report," last month showing 64 officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2024.
That is consistent with the number of officers feloniously killed the previous two years; however, the rate of assaults against officers increased from 2022 to 2024. Firearms were the most reported weapon used in fatal incidents.
Information about offenders of officer felonious killings in 2024 show there were 61 offenders reported for the felonious deaths. Of these offenders, 95.9% were male, 57.9% were white, and 32 offenders were reported to have a prior criminal record.
For each of the 10 years under consideration, the South region had the most line-of-duty deaths. There was a 45% increase in the deaths in that region in 2024 (29 deaths) compared to 2023 (20 deaths).
Agencies reported 85,730 officer assaults in 2024 indicating a rate of 13.5 assaults per 100 officers, marking the highest officer assault rate in the past 10 years.
The number of officers assaulted and injured by firearms has climbed over the years, reaching a 10-year high in 2023 with approximately 500 officers assaulted and injured by firearms. In 2024, the number of officers assaulted and injured by firearms dropped to approximately 457 officers.
View LEOKA Report
News
75th Anniversary of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List
The FBI has been chasing fugitives since its inception, but the birth of the Top Ten list, as it's sometimes known, began in 1949 when a reporter from the International News Service asked the FBI for the names and descriptions of the "toughest guys" the Bureau was after.
For 75 years, the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has helped the FBI track and capture some of the most elusive and dangerous criminals in history—9/11 terrorist Osama bin Laden, serial killer Ted Bundy, and mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger, to name a few.
The Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list is a testament to the FBI's commitment to bringing criminals, especially the most violent and dangerous offenders, to justice.
"The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list is one of the longest running and most recognizable law enforcement initiatives in U.S. history,” said Supervisory Special Agent Amie Stemen, program manager for the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. "I think its longevity and its success can be attributed to several things—most notably, the way in which the program leverages the media and the public to help locate these fugitives by widely publicizing the suspects' photos and crimes." Details
30-Year Anniversary of Oklahoma City Bombing
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum's memorial area includes a chair for each of the 168 victims of the 1995 bombing.
Thirty years ago this year, on April 19, 1995, at precisely 9:02 a.m., a rented truck laden with the raw materials of a homemade bomb—agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals—exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
A third of the building was reduced to rubble, with floors flattened like pancakes. The devastation killed 168 people, including 19 children, and left hundreds more injured. Dozens of cars were incinerated, and more than 300 nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed.
It was the worst act of homegrown terrorism in the nation’s history.
Aerial view of the aftermath of truck bombing of the Aflred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City in April 1995.
The JTTF Marks 45 Years
In spring 1980, the FBI's New York Office created the Bureau's first Joint Terrorism Task Force. The task force model united Bureau personnel and members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) in investigations of potential acts of terrorism.
And in the 45 years since, the JTTF model—which started as a local solution to a local problem—has spread across the country.
Today, each of the Bureau's 55 field offices has at least one JTTF, and a National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF) in the National Capital Region reinforces these field-level teams' capabilities and expertise.
Operation Level Up
The scenario is sadly all too common: people make a connection online and develop relationships that often feel authentic—whether professional, platonic, or romantic. After gaining trust, their new online partner presents a seemingly legitimate investment opportunity in cryptocurrency, promising big returns.
Unfortunately, both the relationships and the investments are fake, causing some victims to lose their entire life savings, homes, or retirement accounts. Law enforcement, members of the media, and criminals use different terms to describe these scams, often referring to them by the derogatory term "pig butchering." The FBI categorizes them as confidence-enabled cryptocurrency investment fraud.
"It’s a growing problem, and it's a big problem affecting many Americans," said James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
But through Operation Level Up, the FBI is trying to save victims from losing their hard-earned money.
Learn more about operation level up at fbi.gov/levelup.
News Updates
- Terrorist Screening Center Changes Name to the Threat Screening Center
- Director's Workforce Message About the 18th Anniversary of Robert Levinson's Abduction
- FBI Budget Request to U.S. Senate for Fiscal Year 2026
- Director Patel’s Remarks at Operation Restore Justice Press Conference
- How the Victim Services Division Supports Survivors of Crime
Behind the Mic
Inside the FBI Podcast: Child and Adolescent Forensic Interviewer Describes Her Mission
On this My Mission episode of Inside the FBI, we’ll meet Katie Connell, a child and adolescent forensic interviewer (CAFI) in the Bureau's Victim Services Division. Details | My Mission Miniseries
In Case You Missed It
The FBI and law enforcement partners conducted a first-of-its kind operation that resulted in charges against some of the most egregious perpetrators of financially motivated sextortion.
As a result of Operation Artemis, FBI investigations led to the arrest of 22 Nigerian subjects, with at least one arrest linked to an American victim who took their own life.
Follow the Leaders on Social Media
For timely updates and insights from FBI leadership, follow the social media accounts of Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
The FBI Alumni E-Brief is distributed periodically 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.
