Diane Sabatino, the Director of Field Operations for Miami/Tampa, will be the next Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for CBP Field Operations when John Wagner retires next month.
Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner Wagner has been assigned to CBP headquarters in D.C. since 1999 and was appointed to his current role in the Office of Field Operations (OFO) in April 2014. He has been instrumental in transforming the way CBP does business in the 21st century, including through the Global Entry program, Mobile Passport Control, and Automated Passport Control kiosks for international travelers. Wagner has also advanced the use of facial biometrics in entry/exit to screening more than 50 million travelers.
Sabatino currently serves as Director, Field Operations, Miami/Tampa, overseeing a combined workforce of over 2,900 employees and 22 ports of entry throughout the State of Florida. Her area of responsibility encompasses 12 seaports, including the top three cruise ship ports in the world; and 19 airports, to include Miami International Airport (MIA). In fiscal year 2019, the Miami/Tampa ports processed the largest volume of general aviation, having received over 34,000 flights, carrying nearly 150,000 passengers; over 7,200 pleasure vessel arrivals, carrying nearly 25,000 passengers; and the three largest cruise passenger ports with over 12,000,000 passengers.
As the Region IV Lead Field Coordinator, Sabatino successfully managed the response to multiple hurricanes, from initial onset to final disposition, and successfully coordinated planning, communication, and operations, in support of state and local partners.
Sabatino previously served as Port Director, Miami Seaport, where she oversaw all maritime cargo, agriculture, passenger, and trade operations. In 2014, she was honored by World Trade Center Miami at an International Women’s Day event as one of the community’s leaders who made significant contributions in advancing international trade and business in Florida. Sabatino began her Federal career as an Immigration Inspector in 1998, at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. She has held numerous leadership positions, including Acting Director, Field Operations, Baltimore; Acting Port Director, JFK; and Assistant Port Director, MIA.
Sabatino holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and a minor in Philosophy from Fordham University. She also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executives in National and International Security Program, in 2017; and the Department of Homeland Security, Partnership for Public Service Fellows Program, in 2016.
