Dan Bongino — former NYPD officer, Secret Service agent, and the voice millions trusted to call out the deep state — stepped up in February/March 2025 when Trump tapped him (announced on Truth Social) to serve as Deputy Director under FBI Director Kash Patel. No Senate confirmation needed, and Bongino dove in headfirst to help restore the bureau, prioritize real law enforcement, and get results fast. He served roughly 9-10 months before stepping down in early January 2026 to return to private life (and likely his massively popular show), but in that compressed time frame, the FBI under this new leadership delivered big league wins.
The crown jewel? The FBI nabbed 5 of the Ten Most Wanted fugitives in the first year of Trump's second term (2025 into early 2026) — more than the entire 4-year Biden era, which only managed 4 captures total. These weren't minor players; these were dangerous fugitives who'd collectively dodged justice for decades, and the bureau crushed them in under a year.
Just look at the momentum:
Early 2025 saw rapid hits, with 3 captures in the first couple of months alone (including killers and violent offenders like Arnoldo Jimenez and others tied to murder and gang activity).
By September, Patel was bragging in congressional hearings about 4 in 7 months — already matching Biden's full term.
The capper came in mid-January 2026: Alejandro Rosales Castillo, wanted for murder since 2016, got grabbed in Mexico and prepped for extradition.
This is what happens when you let good cops be good cops, prioritize manhunting, and cut the bureaucracy — exactly the kind of shake-up Bongino helped drive as the No. 2 guy overseeing day-to-day ops. Patel himself credited the team (including Bongino's fresh eyes on cold cases) for breakthroughs like finally cracking the long-stalled Jan. 6 pipe bomb investigation with an arrest in December 2025.Bongino walked into a tough spot — an outsider to the FBI ranks, facing pushback from career agents and some internal drama — but he delivered results that made America safer, faster. No endless committees, no excuses, just action. He exceeded expectations, helped turn the FBI back toward its core mission of crushing violent crime and hunting fugitives, and left the place stronger than he found it.
Short tenure? Sure. Massive impact? Absolutely. That's the Dan Bongino way — get in, get it done, and get out with the W. America is better and safer for it. Boom.
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer
