The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a major leadership change at the Phoenix Field Office, appointing a new head to its team. Jose A. Perez steps into the role of special agent in charge, bringing a wealth of experience after serving as a deputy assistant director within the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. This move, as detailed in a press release from the agency yesterday, places a veteran officer with a deep background in combating violent crimes and organized crime at the helm of one of the bureau’s critical outposts.
Beginning his career with the FBI in 2003, Mr. Perez's work led him through various divisions, focusing largely on violent crimes and gangs. Initially assigned to the Jackson Field Office, he was part of the Safe Streets Gang Task Force, a group notorious for its relentless pursuit of gang-related criminal activity. After assuming a new post in Miami in 2006, his expertise was again leveraged in the fight against gangs and drug trafficking organizations. According to the FBI's announcement, Mr. Perez's leadership skills were honed during these assignments, setting the stage for subsequent roles that involved increasingly complex investigative operations.
Mr. Perez's career trajectory continued upward with a promotion to supervisory special agent at FBI Headquarters in 2013, where he managed organized crime operations across South and Central America. His work eventually brought him to the Las Vegas Division in 2016, where he led squads tackling the gravest of crimes - those against children and intertwined with human trafficking. A year later, his expertise was called upon to lead the Violent Crimes Task Forces, successfully navigating high-profile gang investigations and contributing to the capture of a Top Ten Fugitive.
Recent years have seen Mr. Perez ascend through the ranks, taking on roles of incrementally greater responsibility. His leadership capabilities were further tested and proved when he was appointed to helm the formidable Las Vegas Joint Terrorism Task Force in 2018. As of 2019, he assumed the position of assistant special agent in charge in the Dallas Field Office, where he oversaw FBI Resident Agencies located in North Texas, exhibiting a steady hand in managing a breadth of jurisdictional challenges with composure and efficacy. Finally, in 2021, as the FBI's press release noted, Mr. Perez was promoted to section chief over the Violent Crime Section of the Criminal Investigative Division.
Before his tenure with the FBI, Perez armed himself with knowledge, earning a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Florida International University and serving with distinction as a U.S. Pretrial Services and Probation Officer. His appointment as the Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Office marks the latest chapter in a distinguished career dedicated to upholding the law and safeguarding communities.
