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Gov. Jenniffer González Colón has appointed Joseph González, the director of the FBI San Juan Field Office, as the new commissioner of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
With the appointment, González replaces Antonio López Figueroa as the island’s top law enforcement officer.
Thursday’s announcement followed the resignation of Alexis Torres Ríos, who served as public safety secretary under former Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Pierluisi.
González began his FBI career as a special agent in 2003 at the New York Field Office, where he investigated white-collar crime. He also participated in New York’s Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team and its Rapid Deployment Team.
In 2006, González transferred to the San Juan Field Office, where he undertook multiple assignments. He initially focused on investigating organized crime, international drug trafficking, money laundering and violent gangs. Additionally, he served as a crisis negotiator and crisis management coordinator.
In 2011, González was promoted to supervisory special agent of San Juan’s Criminal Enterprise Squad and became the coordinator for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. By 2012, he had advanced to supervisor of the Public Corruption/Civil Rights Squad, which worked to dismantle networks of corrupt law enforcement officers throughout Puerto Rico.
In 2014, González was appointed chief of the Public Corruption Unit in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He also served as the acting section chief of the Public Corruption Civil Rights Section.
In 2016, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Special Operations Branch of the Newark Field Office in New Jersey. In this role, he oversaw operations including surveillance, aviation, human intelligence, security, language services and the undercover program.
In 2017, González was elevated to chief of the Operational Support Section in the International Operations Division at FBI Headquarters, where he managed several units. The following year, he was appointed legal attaché in Mexico City, serving as the primary liaison with the FBI’s Mexican counterparts.
Before joining the FBI, González was a certified public accountant. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in 1999.
