The trip included the opening of a standalone office in Wellington, New Zealand.
FBI Director Kash Patel has praised Australia as a critical ally as the bureau expands its fight against the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) there and in New Zealand.
“We’re expanding global operations to confront some of the most serious threats to the American homeland: foreign influence, cyber attacks, CCP espionage, and counter narcotics,” he said in an Aug. 3 post on X. “Australia is a critical ally in that fight.”
Patel made the statement upon returning from a discreet visit to both countries at the end of July, a trip that included the opening of a new standalone office in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington.
The FBI stated that its office in Australia’s capital, Canberra, had been used to quietly cover Wellington since 2017, but with a standalone office now open there, the FBI is now able to cover more of the South Pacific, including Antarctica, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, and the Kingdom of Tonga.
“Our team just returned from high-level meetings with our Five Eyes partners to deepen intel-sharing, strengthen joint counterterrorism and cyber efforts, and push back against the CCP’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific,” he said in his post. ”This is how we prepare to keep threats off our shores—before they ever get here. Thank you to our Australian partners for the renewed vision of teamwork against our adversaries.”
Patel’s visit was not announced at the time, nor did he make a public appearance or speak to the media. Video footage was later released by the U.S. Embassy showing a speech of his remarks, and the FBI issued a statement on July 31 confirming the opening of the new office in Wellington.
“The FBI has had a strong relationship and collaborated closely with our counterparts in New Zealand for years,” Patel said in the statement. “Expanding the Wellington office demonstrates the strength and evolution of our partnership as we continue to work together to address our shared security objectives in the region.”
By T.J. Muscaro
