Jose A. Perez Named New Special Agent in Charge of FBI Phoenix Office

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced a major leadership change at its Phoenix Field Office, naming a new head for the team. Jose A. Perez assumes the role of special agent in charge, bringing with him a wealth of experience having served as deputy assistant director in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC. The move, detailed yesterday in an agency press release, places a seasoned officer with a deep background in combating violent crime and organized crime at the helm of one of the bureau’s critical outposts.

Mr. Perez began his career with the FBI in 2003, and his work has taken him through several divisions, focusing primarily on violent crime and gangs. He was initially assigned to the Jackson Field Office, where he served on the Safe Streets Gang Task Force, a group notorious for its relentless pursuit of gang-related criminal activity. After taking a new position in Miami in 2006, his expertise was again deployed in the fight against gangs and drug trafficking organizations. According to the FBI announcement, Mr. Perez’s leadership skills were honed during these assignments, paving the way for later roles involving increasingly complex investigative operations.

Mr. Perez’s career continued with a promotion to supervising special agent at FBI Headquarters in 2013, where he led organized crime operations in South and Central America. His work eventually took him to the Las Vegas Division in 2016, where he led teams that tackled the most serious crimes – those against children and those involving human trafficking. A year later, his expertise was called upon to lead the Violent Crimes Task Forces, where he successfully investigated high-profile gangs and contributed to the arrest of a Top Ten Fugitive.

In recent years, Mr. Perez has risen through the ranks, taking on roles of increasing responsibility. His leadership qualities were further tested and proven when he was named head of the formidable Las Vegas Joint Terrorism Task Force in 2018. Beginning in 2019, he assumed the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the Dallas Field Office, where he oversaw FBI Resident Agencies throughout North Texas, demonstrating a steady hand in managing a wide range of jurisdictional challenges with composure and efficiency. Finally, in 2021, as noted in the FBI press release, Mr. Perez was promoted to Section Chief of the Criminal Investigative Division’s Violent Crime Section.

Before joining 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 Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Office marks the latest chapter in a distinguished career dedicated to upholding the law and protecting communities.