Washington, D.C., USA:  Kash Patel, 44, the first Indian American to lead the FBI, gained national attention during an Oval Office briefing with President Donald Trump. Patel presented results from Operation Summer Heat, a nationwide crime crackdown, reporting 28,600 arrests, 2,200 firearms seized, and 421 kilograms of fentanyl confiscated — enough to kill 55 million people.

Trump praised Patel’s leadership, calling the results “the best in U.S. history.” Patel, once a prosecutor and Pentagon chief of staff, emphasised the FBI’s restored independence under his direction: “When you let good cops be good cops, this is what happens.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi credited Patel for boosting morale within the FBI. His statement about removing the “fangs of weaponisation” echoed Trump’s push to eliminate political bias in federal agencies.

Despite praise, civil liberties groups and some Democrats raised concerns about expanded surveillance powers and the political timing of the operation.

Born in New York to Gujarati immigrant parents, Patel’s rise symbolises growing Indian American influence in U.S. law enforcement leadership.