Indian-American woman named head of FBI field office in Salt Lake City

Washington: Shohini Sinha, an Indian-American, known for her work on counter-terrorism investigations, has been named the special agent in charge of the FBI’s field office in Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah.

Sinha, who most recently served as executive special assistant to the Director at FBI Headquarters in Washington DC was named the special agent in charge by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who highlighted Sinha's exceptional track record on counter-terrorism investigations and extensive experience within the agency.

Having joined the FBI as a special agent back in 2001, Sinha has had a remarkable career, the release said on Monday.

Her journey began at the Milwaukee Field Office, where she dedicated her efforts to counterterrorism investigations.

Demonstrating her versatility and commitment, she also embarked on several temporary assignments, including stints at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, the FBI Legal Attaché Office in London, and the Baghdad Operations Centre, it said.

In recognition of her outstanding performance, Sinha earned a promotion to supervisory special agent in 2009 and was transferred to the Counterterrorism Division in Washington, DC.

There, she took on the role of programme manager for Canada-based extraterritorial investigations, fostering collaboration with Canadian liaison officers based in Washington, DC.

In 2012, Sinha achieved another milestone as she was promoted to assistant legal attaché in Ottawa, Canada.

Her work in this capacity revolved around tackling counterterrorism matters through close cooperation with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Continuing her upward trajectory, she was promoted to field supervisor in the Detroit Field Office in 2015. In this role, she effectively led squads responsible for investigating complex international terrorism cases.

Demonstrating her adaptability and a keen interest in cutting-edge matters, Sinha made a strategic move to the cyber intrusion squad in early 2020.

There, she tackled both national security and criminal cyber intrusion cases, displaying her expertise in this rapidly evolving domain.

Later that year, she received yet another promotion, this time to assistant special agent in charge for national security matters in the Portland Field Office, further solidifying her reputation as a seasoned professional, it said.

In 2021, Sinha's exceptional performance and leadership qualities were recognised once again when she was chosen to serve as the executive special assistant to the FBI Director in Washington, DC.

In this pivotal role, she played an instrumental part in various high-level initiatives, making a positive impact on the agency's operations.

Prior to joining the FBI, Sinha had pursued a different path, working as a therapist and later as an administrator for a private, not-for-profit clinic in Lafayette, Indiana.

Her passion for helping others, coupled with her strong educational background—a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in mental health counselling from Purdue University in Indiana—has undoubtedly contributed to her success in both the fields of counselling and law enforcement, the release added.