Former FBI official Jacqueline Maguire, who had joined the FBI as a special agent in 2000, noted that there had been a significant shift in the priorities of the FBI over the years. The FBI had been primarily focused on fighting crimes such as mafia organizations, violent crimes, white-collar crimes, and drug trafficking before the Sept. 11 attacks.
This focus, it was believed, had not done enough to address the Al-Qaeda threat within the United States. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, FBI Director Robert Mueller had quickly worked to shift the FBI into a new era of counterterrorism and national security capabilities.
Maguire departed the bureau last year after holding various leadership positions that involved overseeing counter-terrorism and major criminal investigations. Her departure was not alone, as seven other senior executives also departed in a major shake-up. Although the FBI continues to benefit from the experience of its employees, the departure of numerous veteran officials since Donald Trump took over, some of whom handled security threats emanating from Iran, has been viewed as a major concern over the quality of leadership at the moment.
🚨BREAKING: KASH PATEL IS COMING UNDER RENEWED CRITICISM pic.twitter.com/IDtrn71kW3
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) March 13, 2026
In her statement to the New York Times, Maguire cited that the main focus of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was being distracted by Kash Patel’s pursuit of political retribution and conspiracy theories. She also cited that the increasing levels of conflict emanating from Iran have raised the levels of threats to the security of American citizens within and outside the country.
In her opinion, the main focus of the Federal Bureau of Investigation should be to ensure that terrorism is prevented, security threats emanating from cyber attacks are addressed, and foreign intelligence and espionage are countered.
Iran has been a major security risk even prior to the beginning of hostilities. According to Maguire, Iran is one of the most active government sponsors of terrorism in the world, responsible for the deaths of many Americans through its proxy networks and recruitment operations in countries around the globe. They have supported the terrorist group Hezbollah, responsible for the deadly bombing of the Beirut barracks in 1983, which killed many Americans, and the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 American service members.
However, in more recent years, according to Maguire, Iranian networks associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force have been targeting people inside the United States. There has been a case in which they have attempted to kidnap a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent who has spoken out against the Iranian government.
This plan, however, apparently changed to a murder attempt with Russian mobsters. More surveillance activities by local operatives were also being planned, but were halted by FBI arrests. According to Maguire, this same individual had been tasked with developing a plan for assassinating Donald Trump.
As per Jacqueline Maguire, Iran is emerging as a cyber threat to the United States. She mentioned that hackers affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had attacked American water and wastewater systems, disrupted bank websites, and even blocked American customers from accessing their online financial accounts. These cyber attacks have cost American businesses millions of dollars.
In this context, she criticized the leadership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, arguing that the director, Kash Patel, had undermined the credibility of the FBI due to his haste in releasing information to the press and his excessive engagement on social media.
— Harish Chandra (@HarishChan20246) March 16, 2026
For instance, she mentioned his statements regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk, the Brown University shooting, and his claims about Alex Pretti, who had violated gun laws in Minnesota, although the facts were disputed. Maguire mentioned his appearances at the Olympics, his engagement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his confrontations at congressional hearings as proof that the leadership of the FBI was not concerned about the most pressing threats facing the country.
The dismissals carried out by Kash Patel have the potential to undermine the Federal Bureau of Investigation at a time when experienced counterintelligence agents are crucial in fighting threats emanating from Iran. Maguire stated that dismissing experienced officials in counterintelligence operations targeting Iran could undermine the effectiveness of the agency.
Maguire stated that while Patel often says that his aim is to let “good cops be cops,” it should be understood that FBI agents are not traditional police officers. Instead, they are trained to utilize their intelligence and technological capabilities to investigate federal crimes such as terrorism and cyber attacks. The FBI agents are approximately 13,000 compared to 700,000 state and local police officers in the country, and their expertise should be channeled towards addressing serious national security issues.
