December 16, 2014

Diego G. Rodriguez Named Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office

Director James B. Comey has named Diego G. Rodriguez the assistant director in charge (ADIC) of the FBI’s New York Field Office. In this role, he will oversee all operations and personnel in the five boroughs of New York City, eight counties in New York state, and La Guardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Mr. Rodriguez succeeds ADIC George Venizelos, who is retiring after 24 years of service to the FBI. Mr. Rodriguez had most recently served as special agent in charge (SAC) of the Dallas Field Office since mid-2012.

“Diego possesses the leadership abilities I value,” said Director Comey. “The New York Field Office will benefit from his tactical experience and his thoughtful and motivating management style.”

Mr. Rodriguez began his FBI career in 1990 at the New York Field Office and was a member of the SWAT team and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. The task force, a combined effort with the New York City Police Department, was responsible for investigations involving South American and Mexican drug trafficking/money laundering organizations.

In 1997, Mr. Rodriguez transferred to the San Juan Division, where he was a SWAT team member and was also assigned to a drug/money laundering task force with the Puerto Rico Police Department. He was promoted to supervisory special agent in 1999 in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters and detailed to the Special Operations Division.

In 2001, Mr. Rodriguez transferred to the Miami Division, where he supervised a multi-agency drug squad under the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative. In 2002, he supervised the FBI’s first Joint Terrorism Task Force in the West Palm Beach Resident Agency.

Mr. Rodriguez returned to FBI Headquarters in 2003 as chief of the Field Oversight Unit in the Directorate of Intelligence. He was responsible for the development of Field Intelligence Groups in the 56 field offices. Shortly after, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office in April 2006 as the criminal, counterterrorism, and intelligence program manager. Mr. Rodriguez was then promoted to chief of the Domain and Collection Management Section in the Directorate of Intelligence at FBI Headquarters.

In July 2010, former FBI Director Mueller designated Mr. Rodriguez as SAC for the New York Field Office. There, he oversaw the Criminal Division, which encompassed major complex financial crime and insider trading investigations, numerous public corruption arrests, violent gang roundups, and the largest La Cosa Nostra takedown in FBI history.

In June 2012, Director Mueller named Mr. Rodriguez SAC of the Dallas Division.

Before his FBI career, Mr. Rodriguez was a teacher in New York City. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1988 from St. John’s University in New York.