Kansas City FBI division reports reduced violent crime across Missouri, Kansas

The FBI’s Kansas City Division said it made strides in reducing violent crime, drug trafficking and child exploitation across Missouri and Kansas in 2025, according to a news release from Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus. Cyrus said the division’s top priorities last year were reducing violence curbing drug-related violence. Agents conducted 55 drug seizures, including one operation that recovered “tens of thousands of deadly fentanyl pills,” and removed more than 200 illegally possessed firearms from communities across the region, according to the release. In one spring search warrant, agents and federal partners uncovered 102 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, more than 406 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, firearms and $48,000 in cash from a Kansas City location, according to the release.The office also focused on targeting international narcotics networks. Over the summer, the Kansas City Division and Homeland Security Investigations launched Homeland Security Task Forces in both states, aimed at disrupting cartel activity by combining the resources and authorities of local, state and federal agencies, according to the release.

Alongside drug enforcement, Cyrus said protecting vulnerable victims remained a daily priority. The multi-agency Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was described as “one of the most operationally active squads” in the division. In 2025, agents arrested 24 suspects in one operation and 15 in another tied to exploitation and abuse investigations, according to the release. Several high-profile cases resulted in long federal prison sentences, including a former pediatric physician convicted of producing child sexual abuse material and a Topeka man sentenced for AI-generated exploitation crimes.

Beyond criminal cases, the division emphasized its national security mission. FBI Kansas City reported arrests connected to attempted attacks in the U.S. and abroad, along with counterintelligence cases involving foreign adversaries seeking U.S. technology or trying to bypass export laws. With Kansas City set to host World Cup matches in 2026, Cyrus said security operations will expand next year.“Protecting the United States from terrorism is the FBI’s number one priority,” Cyrus said in the news release. A fact sheet released with the statement shows the division conducted more than 620 arrests, 70 SWAT operations, 70 special agent bomb technician responses and processed more than 1,550 digital devices, totaling nearly 35,000 terabytes of data, through the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory. Cyrus said the agency’s success relies heavily on its partnerships with police departments, sheriff’s offices and prosecutors across both states. “As we head into 2026, I will continue our office’s dedication to strengthening the relationships we have and forging new ones … to further reduce violent crime, get illegal drugs out of our communities, defend the most vulnerable, and protect our national security,” Cyrus said in the news release.