FBI opens new office in Brownsville

The Federal Bureau of Investigation held a ceremony Friday morning to mark the grand opening of its new office in Brownsville.

Representatives from the local, state and federal law enforcement community clapped as FBI Special Agent In Charge Ralph Diaz, U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle and other officials cut the blue ribbon for the new offices at 2305 Hudson Blvd.

The FBI is tasked with the enforcement of federal laws, as well as dealing with terrorism and foreign intelligence threats, said an agency press release.

"The agents in this office work in situations that the average person will never hear about," Diaz said. "The FBI now faces enemies the likes of which you have never seen. How do you deal with an enemy who thinks God speaks into his ear? How do you deal with enemies that use the Internet to stalk children ... or with international organizations bent on stealing our nation's information?"

After the attacks of 9-11, the FBI has taken a large role in the prevention of crimes and other attacks, said Tagle.

"That can only be done with the extensive amount of cooperation we have seen between law enforcement agencies," she said.

The FBI has had an office in Brownsville since 1943, but because of the nature of their work, the presence of agents often goes undetected by the average citizen, Diaz said.

Some of the high-profile cases in which the FBI Brownsville office has played an active role include the apprehension of drug kingpin Juan Garcia Abrego, the arrest of former Cameron County Sheriff Conrado Cantu and the murder of Joey Fisher, Diaz said.

When the bureau first opened its doors in Brownsville, thee office was housed on the second floor of the C&L Pharmacy on East Elizabeth and had two agents.

Over time the Brownsville office grew and moved three more times before the opening of the new state-of-the-art facility.

The new office will house 11 agents and additional support staff, as well as numerous pieces of high-tech crime-fighting equipment, Diaz said.