Kash Patel reportedly orders 500 FBI employees to transfer from Washington to Huntsville

New FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly ordered the transfer of 500 workers from Washington, D.C. to the bureau’s Huntsville facility at Redstone Arsenal.

Patel’s directive also includes moving 1,000 FBI agents from D.C. headquarters out into the field, according to NBC News, which cited current and former FBI officials.

Patel, who was confirmed as FBI director on Thursday, vowed to increase the manpower at the Huntsville facility.

“Four thousand seats still remain open so let’s go to work. I’ll come to Alabama and let’s fill those seats absolutely,” Patel told Alabama U.S. senator Katie Britt at his confirmation hearing.

The dean of Alabama’s congressional delegation, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, praised the move.

“It’s great to see that new FBI Director Patel is already making good on his promise to move more FBI jobs to North Alabama,” Aderholt tweeted Friday evening. “I hope to see more moves like this with other agencies.”

Britt had asked and Patel promised to visit the FBI facility, which sits on a site within the 38,000 acres at Redstone Arsenal.

“I really want you to come and visit with me the state-of-the-art facilities that we have there,” Britt told Patel.

“They’re pretty incredible…we have the ballistics research facility, the hazardous device school…the terrorist explosive device analytics center…we have the sprawling North and South Campus of the FBI.”

Alabama Sens. Britt and Tommy Tuberville voted in favor of Patel’s confirmation on Thursday.

Tuberville responded to Friday’s developments by tweeting a selfie with Patel and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi: