The FBI will establish a dedicated law enforcement office in Wellington, Director Kash Patel has announced.

He said the FBI has had a strong relationship and collaborated closely with “our counterparts in New Zealand for years”.

“Expanding the Wellington office demonstrates the strength and evolution of our partnership as we continue to work together to address our shared security objectives in the region.”

The FBI, a top American law enforcement agency, already has a presence in Wellington. Today’s announcement will mean the establishment of a full Legat position, which is designed to enhance that cooperation.

The FBI collaborates with international law enforcement partners through a network of offices worldwide. The Wellington position was originally established in 2017 as a suboffice of the Legat based in Australia.

The US Embassy said the new office will work with local police to address shared priority areas through joint investigations, information sharing and capacity-building.

It will work to investigate and disrupt a wide range of threats and criminal activities including terrorism, cybercrime and fraud, organised crime and money laundering, child exploitation and foreign intelligence threats. It will have responsibility for partnerships in New Zealand, Antarctica, Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and Tonga.

Patel secretly dropped into Wellington last week, but his visit was sprung after Newstalk ZB noticed his plane at the airport and the Herald spotted him walking through the Beehive basement.

Judith Collins, minister responsible for New Zealand’s spy agencies, said an increased FBI presence would enhance the “safety and security of New Zealanders”.

“We exchanged a range of insights on areas such as trans-national organised crime, counter-terrorism, cyber-security and espionage,” she said.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said Patel’s visit reiterated New Zealand’s commitment to targeting transnational criminals.

“New Zealand Police are continually working with their overseas counterparts like the FBI to catch those engaged in illegal, harmful activities such as drug smuggling and online child exploitation, as well disrupting and preventing this offending from happening in the first place.”

Patel is the most senior member of the US administration to visit New Zealand since President Donald Trump returned to office.

Patel is a key player in the ongoing controversy over Trump’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Patel was said to be unhappy with a Justice Department decision to close the book on Epstein this year.

He denied rumours he would quit the role over the issue, taking to social media: “The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States – and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.”