FBI’s Dan Bongino Placed Under Full-Time Security Amid Rising Tensions

In an unprecedented move, the FBI has organized a 24-hour, multi-agency security detail to protect Deputy Director Dan Bongino — marking the first time a second-in-command at the bureau has received such extensive protection.

According to internal sources, the operation will require as many as twenty agents who will rotate shifts to maintain constant coverage, even inside FBI headquarters. The protective detail was described in an agency-wide memo last week seeking volunteers from within the bureau for “temporary duty assignments,” asking agents to step away from their usual caseloads to serve as part of the security rotation.

The heightened protection has raised eyebrows inside Washington, where security details of this scale are typically reserved for the FBI Director or the U.S. Attorney General. Former Deputy Director Paul Abbate, for example, had only one part-time agent accompany him during public appearances or international travel.

“The real question here is: what is the specific threat level, or is this simply a matter of preference?” said former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi in an interview with NBC News. “We’re talking about taxpayer money. There needs to be a clear justification.”

Dan Bongino — a former Secret Service agent and New York City police officer — reportedly has the authority to carry a firearm but has chosen not to, citing professional boundaries and his trust in the detail assigned to him.

The decision to expand security comes as Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel pursue a sweeping internal reform agenda. Both men have described their mission as an effort to “rebuild trust in a broken institution” and have pledged to overhaul what they call systemic failures in leadership, accountability, and transparency.

Bongino addressed the growing speculation about his new protection detail and his reform agenda in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday evening.

“Headed back to D.C. today after spending a day with my wife and daughter,” Bongino wrote. “As I dive back into work, I want to reassure everyone that nothing happening right now is by accident. Because of the sensitivity of what we deal with, both the Director and I have to be careful about what we make public. The bad guys read this stuff too. Neither of us came here to play games.”

He continued, emphasizing that the pace of visible reform should not be mistaken for inaction. “Measure us by results. You’ll see them. Just because you don’t see something happening in real time doesn’t mean it isn’t happening behind the scenes. Lasting change takes patience and persistence. I’d rather repair a wound than cover it with a bandage. Let’s do this right.”

In a follow-up message, Bongino spoke directly to the public, inviting engagement while cautioning against misinformation.

“Your comments and criticisms are not only welcome — they’re essential,” he wrote. “We work for you, the American people. All I ask is that when something seems counterintuitive to our reform agenda, consider the possibility that not all facts can be made public right away. Some decisions may not make sense in the moment, but they’re never made by accident.”

Bongino added that his motives were grounded in service, not ambition. “Ask yourself: why would I sign up for this? Fame? Wealth? Connections? If that sounds absurd, it’s because it is. I accepted this job knowing I’d never be able to fully explain some of our choices due to legal and ethical constraints. But that’s a commitment I made when I took the oath.”

He concluded his message with a note of humility and resolve: “I understand that asking people to ‘trust me’ is a waste of breath. Instead, I ask you to watch what happens. Demand results. Be wary of the media traps and half-truths. Give time for the puzzle pieces to fall into place — and the picture we’re building will become clear. I see you, I hear you, and I’m grateful for your feedback.”

While the FBI has not publicly disclosed the nature of the threat against Bongino, officials familiar with internal discussions say the security decision followed a classified assessment by the Bureau’s Protective Intelligence Division. The findings reportedly indicated credible threats linked to ongoing investigations targeting transnational criminal networks and domestic extremist groups.

For now, both Bongino and Patel appear focused on the long road ahead — one that may define the future of America’s top law enforcement agency. As Bongino himself hinted, “Complex problems don’t get solved overnight. But real change — the kind that lasts — is already in motion.”