Christopher G. Raia leads the FBI’s New York Field Office with unwavering dedication, drawing on more than two decades of valiant public service. Appointed on April 9, 2025, by Director Kash Patel, Raia assumed command of the Bureau’s largest field office after distinguished leadership at FBI Headquarters, where he served as deputy assistant director in the Counterterrorism Division
Since joining the FBI in 2003, Raia has exemplified integrity and excellence. He began his career as a special agent in the Houston field office’s Texas City Resident Agency, confronting violent crime, gangs, drugs, and white‑collar offenses while coordinating the Safe Streets Task Force. In 2012, he became a supervisory special agent at FBI Headquarters managing international terrorism operations for multiple regional offices. Over the years, he held critical leadership roles—including senior supervisory resident agent in Texas, assistant special agent in charge for violent crime and national security in Houston, and chief of staff to the executive assistant director of the National Security Branch—before directing global counterterrorism efforts at FBI Headquarters in 2024.
Raia’s reputation for calm resolve and strategic acumen was nationally lauded in early 2025 when he led the FBI’s investigation into the New Orleans vehicle attack, which left 14 people dead on New Year’s Eve. In gripping public briefings, his composed confidence and analytical clarity earned him praise from former colleagues as “the real deal” . A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, he served as a Coast Guard officer in Florida before joining the Bureau. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Raia is a devoted family man, married for over 22 years and a father of three.
In his current role at New York’s 26 Federal Plaza, ADIC Raia oversees more than 2,000 agents and staff, advancing the Bureau’s mission to confront terrorism, organized crime, child exploitation, and other threats with unwavering vigilance. His leadership is characterized by collaboration, ethical strength, and a steadfast commitment to public safety and justice—a guiding beacon for the FBI during pivotal times.
The FBI’s New York Field Office, based at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, is the largest and most strategically significant of the Bureau’s 55 field divisions. It operates under the leadership of Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia and oversees more than 2,000 agents, analysts, and support staff. Its jurisdiction covers New York City’s five boroughs, several surrounding counties, both major international airports (JFK and LaGuardia), and extends extraterritorial responsibilities for offenses against U.S. citizens in Europe and Canada
With a storied legacy dating back to the early 20th century, this office has been at the forefront of major national security and criminal investigations—from the Lindbergh kidnapping and 1920 Wall Street bombing to Cold War espionage, the 1993 World Trade Center attack, post‑9/11 counterterrorism, financial crimes like the Madoff Ponzi scheme, and persistent efforts against organized crime It maintains a Joint Terrorism Task Force, robust counterintelligence teams, violent crime and cybercrime units, and spearheads initiatives like “Operation Restore Justice,” which targets child sex predators
The office functions as a hub of investigative vigour and interagency cooperation. It collaborates closely with the NYPD, U.S. Attorney’s Office, international partners, and nearly 350 resident agencies across the region, applying both proactive intelligence efforts and reactive criminal investigations. Its multifaceted mission includes counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cybercrime, public corruption, civil rights, organized crime, white-collar fraud, and violent crime. Intelligence from this office informs national-level operations and supports protective duties—including those of the FBI Police—at federal facilities throughout the city
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