KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel told lawmakers last week he plans to shift nearly three dozen agents to cover field offices in the Kansas City area and the Midwest.
During testimony on May 7 before the United States House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Patel spoke generally about his plan to shift FBI agents and other resources out of Washington, DC and into regional field offices across the country, including Kansas City.
Patel estimated that roughly 37 agents would be reassigned to the Missouri area, with 33 landing in the Kansas City Field Office, with two agents sent to Springfield, Missouri. Other agents would be assigned to offices in Topeka, Wichita and Jefferson City.
Patel told lawmakers that the shifting of resources came from recommendations from people inside the agency. He said the reallocation wasn’t necessarily a reflection of any increases in crime but a reflection that Kansas City covers a large geographic area.
On Thursday, NBC News reported the FBI, in addition to shifting resources, is shifting its focus to immigration enforcement.
NBC News cited memos and meetings this week that detail a shift into partnering with other federal efforts on immigration.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas reacted to Patel’s comments earlier this week, asking the FBI director to dedicate forensic examiners to help the region battle various crimes.
“A backlog in evidence from phones and other devices keeps us from solving some murders and other serious crimes,” Lucas said on X. “Technology and resources at the FBI can help us get very serious offenders off the streets.”
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