Christopher Raia
Christopher Gilbert Raia (born April 17, 1976) is an American law enforcement officer who serves as the 22nd deputy director of the FBI, taking office in January 2026. Before that, he led the FBI’s New York City field office as assistant director in charge from March 2025 to January 2026.
Raia was born in Illinois. He attended Michigan City High School in Indiana and then the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He served as a Coast Guard officer in Florida. He joined the FBI as a special agent in 2003.
In his FBI career, Raia was an early informant in a 2011 case about an alleged Iran assassination plot involving a DEA agent. He also helped with investigations like the 2025 New Orleans truck attack.
In March 2025, FBI director Kash Patel fired James Dennehy as head of the New York City field office, and Raia took over that role. He led prosecutions including pro-Palestinian activist Tarek Bazrouk and the 2025 NBA illegal gambling case.
In January 2026, reports named him the deputy director of the FBI, succeeding Dan Bongino. He is married to Kristen Mason since 2003, and they have three children.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:00 (CET).