The FBI plans to promote Christopher Raia, the chief of its New York field office, to the position of deputy director after Dan Bongino’s recent departure from the position, the agency confirmed to The Epoch Times on Jan. 9.
Bongino, a former New York City police officer turned conservative commentator, left after a brief stint as the bureau’s second-in-command. Bongino formally stepped down on Jan. 3, the day of President Donald Trump’s announcement of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s ouster by U.S. forces.
Bongino called it “a busy last day on the job.”
He said it was “an honor of a lifetime” to work with FBI Director Kash Patel and added, “See you on the other side.”
The deputy director's role involves overseeing daily operations, coordinating with other agencies, and advising the director on strategic matters.
The FBI declined to comment on when Raia would begin his new position.
Raia brings decades of FBI experience. As assistant director in charge of the New York office, he has overseen major investigations in one of the agency’s busiest hubs.
Raia’s team also addressed espionage threats, with a New York pro-democracy group founder pleading guilty in September 2025 to spying for China. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton described the defendant’s actions as violating national sovereignty and endangering residents.
Trump, speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Dec. 17, commended Bongino's performance.
“I think he wants to go back to his show,” the president said, alluding to “The Dan Bongino Show” on Rumble.
“He not only completed his mission—he far exceeded it,” Patel wrote. “We will miss him but I’m thankful he accepted the call to serve. Our country is better and safer for it.”
Patel reposted Bongino’s final announcement on Jan. 3 without additional comment.
Bongino’s path to the FBI was unconventional. Before emerging as a political analyst on Fox News in 2013, he served as a New York Police Department officer and later as a U.S. Secret Service special agent. His February 2025 appointment marked his first involvement with the FBI, the nation’s premier domestic intelligence and law enforcement entity.
The national murder rate declined significantly, and agents located more than 6,000 child victims—a 22 percent rise from prior levels.
During his time at the FBI, Bongino reportedly clashed with the Department of Justice, the bureau’s overseeing agency, over the handling of files related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, whose 2019 death was ruled a suicide. Bongino had previously advocated for transparency on his podcast.
The FBI under Patel and Bongino has emphasized countering domestic extremism, narcotics trafficking, and child exploitation amid broader Trump administration priorities. Raia’s promotion signals continuity in these efforts, drawing on his expertise in urban crime hubs.