Mr. Francis J. Russo is the Director, Field Operations (DFO) for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) New York Field Office (NYFO). He directs the activities of nearly 3,000 CBP employees. His area of responsibility in New York and New Jersey includes two of the country’s busiest international airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR); the east coast’s largest container seaport (New York/Newark); two International Mail Facilities, including the nation’s busiest; and the Pharmaceuticals, Health and Chemicals Center of Excellence and Expertise (PHC Center).
Mr. Russo oversees CBP’s national security and anti-terrorism operations, immigration, and agriculture inspections, and trade enforcement efforts throughout the New York metropolitan area, where in Fiscal Year 2021, over $314 billion in imported goods and more than 7.8 million international travelers entered the United States, a total greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Russo most recently served as the Acting Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for Operations Support. In this role, he supported CBP operations and enabled mission execution across eight subcomponents: the Office of Intelligence; the Office of International Affairs; the Office of the Chief Medical Officer; CBP Watch; Laboratories and Scientific Services; Law Enforcement Safety and Compliance; Planning, Analysis, and Requirements Evaluation; and the Mission Support Directorate.
Mr. Russo was previously the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Intelligence, where he directed efforts to provide timely, actionable, and relevant intelligence to frontline personnel in support of CBP’s enduring mission priorities.
From 2017 to 2020, Mr. Russo entered the Senior Executive Service as the JFK Port Director. He directed the activities of more than 1,800 CBP employees, who worked across the diverse operational demands of five international passenger terminals, the nation’s largest International Mail Facility, two express consignment carrier facilities, 24 general air cargo facilities, and four general aviation airports on Long Island.
Mr. Russo previously served as the Assistant Director for Border Security in the NYFO, where he managed and implemented CBP policies, programs, and procedures for both JFK and Newark. He was detailed to CBP’s National Targeting Center as the Acting Director of the Counterterrorism Division, where he worked to refocus CBP’s goals and objectives to support counterterrorism response.
Mr. Russo also served as a Watch Commander at JFK Airport, and a Supervisor in the Passenger Analytical Unit at JFK. He entered on duty as an Inspector with the United States Customs Service in 1995 under the outstanding scholar program. He is a graduate of the Kennedy School of Government Senior Managers in Government Program, Harvard University.
Mr. Russo is a career member of the Senior Executive Service. He is married and has one daughter.
