FBI Chief Patel unveils new spy base in New Zealand to counter China
FBI Director Kash Patel traveled this week to open the office in Wellington and met on Wednesday with key New Zealand officials to emphasize the importance of expanding cooperation in the region. While the FBI has personnel stationed in New Zealand already, opening an office marks a significant step in addressing the threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to the U.S. and its allies.
New leadership at the FBI said it was surprised to find out an office was not already established in the region considering the increased tensions between Washington, D.C. and Beijing in recent years. 'The FBI has had a strong relationship and collaborated closely with our counterparts in New Zealand for years,' Patel said in a statement to the Daily Mail regarding the opening of the new office. 'Expanding the Wellington office demonstrates the strength and evolution of our partnership as we continue to work together to address our shared security objectives in the region.'
The trip comes as the FBI and Justice Department continue to face fallout from the botched review of the Jeffrey Epstein files. But Director Patel is chugging forward with his mission to restore Americans' faith in the bureau. The roles of attaché agents are to build and maintain relationships with foreign law enforcement and security services – specifically to facilitate information sharing among the intelligence communities.
These FBI offices are spread throughout the world through agreements with the host countries to coordinate operations and collaborate on operations. The move this week marks an acknowledgement that the FBI is taking seriously the continued increase in threatening activity from Beijing and other foreign adversaries in region.
'Opening our first new law enforcement attaché in the Wellington Office marks a historic step for the FBI as we strengthen our working relationship with New Zealand and confront the growing threats of our time emanating from the Indo-Pacific — particularly from hostile nation-state actors like the Chinese Communist Party,' FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told the Daily Mail. He said that the office will help 'better position' the U.S. to protect itself and its citizens, as well as partners in the so-called Five Eye coalition.
The Five Eyes (FVEY) coalition was established shortly after the end of World War II and facilitates intelligence sharing between the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
While the FBI's goal is protecting the homeland from terrorism, cybercrime and other civil rights threats, it's also tasked with investigating and preventing transnational criminal activity involving the U.S.
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