"I am honored to have been nominated and confirmed as your new Director," Patel wrote to colleagues. "While I’m new to the Bureau’s ranks, I’ve spent my career in government service and the past decade in national security, working shoulder to shoulder with the FBI and many of its partners throughout the law enforcement and intelligence communities. My commitment has always been — and always will be — to pursuing justice and upholding the rule of law, and I look forward to continuing that commitment alongside all of you."

Patel also reiterated that keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad, is a "no-fail mission" that the FBI must continue to support in the coming months.

The letter continued, "As I take on this new role, my priorities for our organization are twofold. First is to provide you with the tools and resources you need to keep our communities safe. This will include streamlining our operations at Headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation and collaborating even more closely with our essential partners in state and local law enforcement.

"Second is to ensure we rebuild the American people’s trust in the FBI. We’ll do that by committing ourselves to full transparency with the people’s representatives in Congress and by upholding the highest standards in all that we do, ensuring rigorous obedience to the Constitution and a single standard of justice for all."

"I know that you, the dedicated men and women of the FBI, are courageous warriors of justice," he wrote. "I will always have your backs, because you have the backs of the American people. I look forward to serving with you in the years to come."