Eric Velez-Villar, a 29-year FBI veteran and former assistant director for the intelligence directorate, has been promoted to executive assistant director of the bureau’s intelligence branch.He joined the FBI in 1985 working in the San Juan division and then became a special agent focused on organized crime and illegal drug matters in the San Antonio division before returning to San Juan to handle public corruption investigations, the bureau said Friday.
In 2000, he moved to FBI headquarters as a supervisory special agent and worked at the Drug Enforcement Agency‘s special operations unit, where he was responsible for coordinating drug trafficking cases across the U.S.
He also served as assistant special agent for the counterterrorism program in the Los Angeles division and was the division’s first special agent in charge of intelligence activities.
Velez-Villar also held the role of deputy director at the bureau’s Washington-based terrorist screening center.
He served as deputy assistant director of intelligence directorate for three years prior to being named to the DI assistant director position in 2012.
He is a recipient of the 2011 Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive and the 2008 Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.
