Every law enforcement officer’s family’s worst nightmare is losing their loved one to an act of violence in the line of duty. That nightmare came true the morning of February 2, 2021. FBI special agents Laura Schwartzenberger and Daniel Alfin were shot and killed by a child pornography suspect while executing a search warrant in Sunrise, Florida. Laura was not only my colleague, she was a close friend. In addition to the two veteran agents murdered, four agents were wounded. That was horrible enough. What made things even worse is when it appeared to many agents that the FBI prioritized politically motivated cases and social justice movements over addressing issues surrounding the deadly shootout.
After serving with honor as an FBI special agent for over a dozen years, I recently walked away because of the change in the FBI’s trajectory. The FBI’s handling of Laura and Dan’s deaths was the tipping point in my decision to leave as it was emblematic of the shift in the FBI’s priorities.
Americans are appalled with the current state of affairs at the FBI. Countless current and retired FBI employees and I share in the frustration. It’s heartbreaking that our legacies have been tarnished by those who inappropriately use their law enforcement authority to push their political agendas over fidelity to the law.
But trust me, you would’ve loved Laura. She was the antithesis of all the recent FBI scandals. Her integrity was impenetrable. Laura did not mince her words as she saw the FBI changing; we explicitly discussed how we would have no part in any politicization.
She was highly decorated; she won multiple awards over her career, but she was never about the accolades or fanfare. She humbly did the heaviest lifting in the FBI protecting children from predators and sexual violence. She personified Super Woman as she successfully juggled being a wife, mother, sister, friend, devout Catholic, youth Sunday school teacher, top-performing FBI Agent, artist, scuba diver and CrossFit enthusiast.
Laura’s two young sons were her pride and joy. Although they inherited her fiercely competitive nature, as seen when they take the field for lacrosse, her top priority was to raise them to be good citizens and followers of God.
Laura was tough as nails but tender-hearted. She had a beautiful aura and light about her countenance. Her laughter was contagious, beloved by all. Rarely in law enforcement do we discuss the evil we combat but Laura and I confided in one another as we processed dark things we witnessed. As fellow women of faith, we regularly spoke about how God would carry us through.
The evening of Sunday, January 31, just 36 hours before Laura was murdered, she and I spoke on the phone regarding a variety of topics. As a former member of FBI Albuquerque’s SWAT team, she questioned the FBI’s recent use of SWAT nationwide for some operations she perceived to be a display of force to intimidate for political reasons. Yet, sadly, a day and a half after sharing her perspective, SWAT was not present for her and squad mates executing a search warrant on one of the most heinous, a child pornographer.
Experienced law enforcement officers know those committing crimes against children can be extremely dangerous and violent – regardless of their prior criminal history. These subjects are desperate and know when caught, they will be in prison for a long time, so they have nothing to lose.
In August 2004, a Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Deputy was shot and killed in the line of duty while executing a warrant in a child pornography raid – the same crime and same county where Laura and Dan were killed. As a result, BSO learned lessons and enacted the "Todd Fatta Protocol" utilizing SWAT to varying degrees for operations.
Hindsight is always 20/20 but I wish SWAT or a swarm of agents had been sent out the morning that Laura and Dan were murdered like the FBI deployed for the arrests of Roger Stone, Mark Houck, etc. If they had, would we be left picking up the pieces of shattered lives and families?
When I commented recently about how people within the FBI were very concerned about speaking out due to potential retribution. The Bureau defended itself in a statement that said in part, "The FBI has not and will not retaliate against individuals who make protected whistleblower disclosures."
That doesn’t address other problems at the Bureau. When I left the FBI, almost two years after their murders, The FBI director had not presented an after-action review regarding what happened. Agents in Miami and across the country wanted answers to understand what went wrong. We were left to unofficial chatter and speculation. It was difficult for agents to mitigate future risks when we didn’t even know what transpired. There was no closure.
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Yet on a weekly basis, our FBI email inboxes were flooded with messages regarding various diversity matters. But not one correspondence advising lessons learned from Laura and Dan’s tragedy.
Agents often commented that they did not sign up to be social justice warriors or political pawns. They joined the FBI to protect and serve Americans and wanted assurance from leadership at the top that coming home alive was of preeminent importance.
I was contacted by retired, highly decorated, 28-year veteran special agent Michael Anderson. He supports my recent commentary regarding the FBI. His father, FBI special agent Terry Ray Anderson, was shot and killed May 17, 1966, in pursuit of a kidnapping suspect. He said both his and his father’s legacies had been "destroyed" by the Bureau’s current leadership. The FBI is no longer respected like it once was, he added.
Laura and Dan were murdered seeking justice for innocent children who had been victimized. In that effort, they left behind their own children. Despite the current state of the FBI, they made the ultimate sacrifice and deserve our admiration, honor and respect.
For the FBI to be an effective law enforcement agency, the Bureau must regain the trust of the American people. Frankly, this will require drastic changes. I am hopeful and pray the FBI will return to its original roots as a law enforcement agency and make all our fallen heroes proud.
