WASHINGTON — Sean Joyce, a Boston native, has been named executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch (NSB), a key post that oversees a number of divisions including counterterrorism, counterintelligence, Directorate of Intelligence and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate.
His last post was as assistant director of the FBI’s International Operations Division. He replaces Arthur M. Cummings II, a widely respected agent and supervisor, who is retiring.
“The NSB oversees the FBI’s national security and intelligence operations,” FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III said in a statement. “As EAD, Sean will be responsible for the continued development of a specialized national security workforce and will serve as the FBI’s lead intelligence official.
“Sean brings a wide range of operational and leadership experience to this position, which he has demonstrated during more than 20 years of service to the FBI.”
Joyce became an agent in 1987 and was first assigned to the Ft. Worth office where he investigated violent crimes. He later went on to work Colombian narcotics cases out of the Miami office.
In 1998, he returned to Dallas Division as a SWAT team leader. In 2002, he was named supervisory senior resident agent for the Fort Worth office.
In 2005, he became the legal attaché to Prague and two years later came to the Washington field office as an assistant special agent in charge.
The next year, he was named section chief of the Counterterrorism Division’s International Terrorism Operations Section, with responsibility for international terrorism matters within the United States.
In February 2009, he was named deputy assistant director of International Operations Division and several months later was appointed assistant director.
