James F. Yacone Named Assistant Director of the Critical Incident Response Group

Director Robert S. Mueller has named James F. Yacone assistant director for the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG). In this role, he will oversee personnel who provide expertise in crisis management, tactical operations, crisis negotiations, hostage rescue, hazardous devices mitigation, critical incident intelligence, surveillance and aviation, behavioral analysis, and special events management. Mr. Yacone most recently served as the special agent in charge (SAC) of the FBI’s Denver Division and managed operations and personnel in Colorado and Wyoming.

Mr. Yacone joined the FBI in 1995 as a special agent. He was first assigned to the Philadelphia Division, where he investigated violent drug trafficking organizations, organized crime, and financial institution fraud. He was later selected to serve with CIRG as a member of the Hostage Rescue Team. During his tenure there, Mr. Yacone was promoted to supervisory special agent and later unit chief and deployed to multiple critical incidents and major investigations around the world in support of the global fight against terrorism.

In 2006, Mr. Yacone was appointed chief of the FBI’s Aviation and Surveillance Branch. In that position, he implemented a strategic aircraft replacement plan to upgrade and standardize the FBI’s diverse fleet of airplanes and helicopters.

Mr. Yacone served as an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI Richmond Division’s National Security Branch from 2007 to 2009. In addition to the counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and intelligence programs, he also implemented the FBI’s new threat-based intelligence process for two FBI field divisions. Concurrently, Mr. Yacone was selected by Director Mueller to lead a strategic merger to consolidate a large number of personnel and assets into a unified Surveillance and Aviation Section.

He was a section chief in CIRG from 2009 to 2011, which involved direct management and oversight of the FBI’s national tactical program, crisis negotiation program, and a variety of mobility and crisis response assets.

A New York native, Mr. Yacone graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and has a Master of Science in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University. He served eight years in the U.S. Army and is a decorated combat veteran with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

He and his wife Becky have three children.