Chad Yarbrough, a native Texan and Dallas resident, has been named as the new special agent in charge of the FBI in the Dallas region, according to a news release.
Yarbrough joined the FBI in 2006 and was assigned to the Dothan Resident Agency of the Mobile Field Office in Alabama.
While there, he investigated violent crimes and crimes against children. Yarbrough then transferred to the Chicago Field Office.
There he served as a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he investigated domestic terrorism matters.
“Having been born and raised and a native of the Dallas area, it’s humbling and frankly surreal to be able to lead this office and have my hometown as part of the territory that I oversee,” said Yarbrough speaking to NBC 5 DFW.
Yarbrough spoke to reporters Thursday and listed hate crimes, cybersecurity, and the trafficking of fentanyl as among his top priorities.
He specifically mentioned the ongoing fight against drug traffickers and fentanyl. Cases of drug trafficking have risen in North Texas and across the country, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“When you have drug trafficking in your area, you have violence. It goes hand-in-hand. … That’s why we need to work together as state, local and federal law enforcement agencies to combat this crime,” said Yarbrough.
Yarbrough added that fighting the drug war also takes more than just law enforcement.
“It’s not just law enforcement who can solve it, it’s the public, it’s families, it’s health care professionals working hand-in hand together to really make that impact,” said Yarbrough.
Regarding hate crimes, the Dallas FBI previously launched a campaign across the city to encourage people to report hate crimes.
Yarbrough added that the campaign was a good start.
“We’ve seen an increase in reporting, and … we continue to get the message out. Ultimately, we’re able to [better assess] our investigations and identify those investigations that we do need [to] pursue that give rise to the federal violation,” said Yarbrough.
Cybersecurity is another threat that Yarbrough has set his eyes on.
“China, Russia, North Korea, [and] Iran are really our primary focuses. They continue to conduct intrusions to steal our intellectual properties, our research and development, our academic research and so we have to continue to be aggressive in pursuing those actors as best as we can,” said Yarbrough.
Governor Greg Abbott has already banned the popular app TikTok from state-issued devices, and Congress is deliberating banning the app altogether for fear of American data being stolen.
Yarbrough takes over the role formerly held by Matthew DeSarno, who retired last year.
