WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., announced on Aug. 1 that they have successfully secured the confirmation of David O. Barnett, Jr. for U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico.
Barnett has served as a Counterintelligence Supervisory Special Agent in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Field Office of the FBI since 2018. Previously, he was a Special Agent in the Washington, D.C. Field Office of the FBI. Prior to becoming an FBI Special Agent in 2006, he was an FBI Intelligence Analyst and support staff in the National Capital Region from 1990 to 2006. He has received multiple commendations for exemplary service, including an FBI Commendation for Exceptional Service while deployed in a combat zone for his service in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He received his B.A. from the University of Phoenix in 2002.
“David Barnett brings decades of experience to his new position, joining New Mexico’s federal law enforcement leadership and stepping into this role at a critical moment in New Mexico’s fight against crime and addiction in our communities,” Heinrich said. “David will be charged with enforcing new federal criminal provisions that I have enacted in Congress, while deploying increased law enforcement resources that I have worked to secure for New Mexicans. I am eager to welcome David to this role, where he can join our fight against the spread of illicit fentanyl and other deadly opioids, locate missing persons, and pursue all offenders who have evaded our justice system. I fought hard to secure David’s confirmation because I know he understands the very real impacts of crime in the lives of New Mexicans and will help deliver for our communities.”
Luján backed Heinrich’s sentiment.
“As the FBI’s Counterintelligence Supervisory Special Agent in the Albuquerque Field Office, David O. Barnett Jr. is a tested public servant who has kept our state and country safe,” Luján said. “Special Agent Barnett’s experience and commitment to our country will make him an exceptional U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico and I look forward to seeing his continued impact in our state.”
U.S. Marshals are the enforcement and security arm of federal courts. They help locate and apprehend criminal fugitives, transport federal prisoners, protect federal courthouses, find missing persons, and operate the Federal Witness Protection System.
The U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico nomination was delayed for nearly a year due to Senate Republicans holding up the nomination process.
By Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján
