FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino took to social media on Thursday to announce a massive arrest in Texas just a week into his new job.
“Our @FBIHouston team is doing unbelievable work getting illegal drugs off the streets. 150 KILOS of narcotics seized just this week — and two successful operations this morning,” the former top conservative talk show host noted on the X platform. “Thank you, agents. You are making America safe. Because of you, it’s a bad day to be a bad guy.”
Meanwhile, an FBI agent who said that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani “may have been compromised” by Russian agents and accused the first Trump administration of political bias was detained at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport before he could leave the country.
In a criminal complaint submitted on Tuesday, Jonathan Buma was accused of unlawfully revealing private information.
In October 2023, Buma, a counterintelligence expert and 15-year FBI veteran who had criticized the first Trump administration’s handling of classified material, allegedly printed out almost 130 files from FBI networks.
At least eight of the files contained “sensitive information reports relating to a foreign adversary,” and some files contained information that confidential human sources provided to the FBI, which “were clearly marked with protected warnings that made clear that the information was to be protected,” said the complaint.
Additionally, Buma allegedly printed out screenshots of messages he sent and received with a confidential source using an encrypted messaging app; the complaint claimed that the images, which contained information, somehow made their way into a news story later that year.
Buma allegedly informed his supervisors that he intended to take an unpaid leave of absence after printing the necessary materials for his candid autobiographical book.
“The book draft contained information that Buma obtained through his position as an FBI Special Agent that relates to the FBI’s efforts and investigations into a foreign country’s weapons of mass destruction program,” said the complaint.
As for Bongino, he wasted no time making an impact in his new role. Soon after being sworn in, Bongino honored fallen FBI agents by visiting the agency’s Wall of Honor, a gesture that quickly earned widespread praise from his supporters.
The FBI’s official account shared the moment on social media, noting: “After his swearing-in ceremony as FBI Deputy Director, Dan Bongino paid his respects at the Wall of Honor, honoring the brave members of the #FBI who made the ultimate sacrifice and reflecting on the legacy of those who paved the way in the pursuit of justice and security.”
Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer, was appointed to the position last month by President Donald Trump, signaling a significant shift in leadership within the bureau.
Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social account: “Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel. Dan has a Masters Degree in Psychology from C.U.N.Y., and an MBA from Penn State. He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve. Working with our great new United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and Director Patel, Fairness, Justice, Law and Order will be brought back to America, and quickly. Congratulations Dan!”
