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The FBI has a new unit with an ominous nickname, and it’s not targeting drug cartels or terrorists. Under Director Kash Patel, the bureau has reportedly assembled what sources are calling a “payback squad”—a team of agents assigned to investigate President Trump’s perceived enemies in a sprawling conspiracy probe that’s already issued more than 100 subpoenas.\n\nAccording to multiple government officials familiar with the bureau’s operations, this team is composed of agents willing to handle politically-charged cases targeting Trump’s critics. A senior FBI official denies the “payback squad” name but confirmed the existence of the Director’s Advisory Team, launched last year to dig through internal documents and government materials to expose federal law enforcement officials who investigated Trump and his allies.\n\nSenator Dick Durbin discovered this group had a written list of names—FBI officials and agents who were “in the crosshairs” for forced retirement or removal. That was last year. Now that same apparatus appears linked to a growing investigation in Florida, where DOJ officials are pursuing long-gestating MAGA conspiracy theories accusing Democratic officials of orchestrating a decade-long campaign to take down Trump.\n\nThe Florida probe, led by 81-year-old former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova, encompasses Trump’s grievances from the 2020 election and the Russia investigation. A grand jury has been empaneled. Subpoenas have gone out seeking information from officials connected to the 2016 intelligence report on Russian interference. Trump has always called that investigation a hoax. Now his Justice Department is treating it like a crime—committed against him.\n\nWhat exactly is the FBI’s role here? The “payback squad” appears to be doing the investigative legwork for a case that former prosecutors couldn’t stomach. Career DOJ prosecutor Maria Medetis Long was forced off the case after allegedly resisting pressure to quickly bring charges against former CIA director John Brennan. Two top prosecutors resigned from the Southern District of Florida over how the investigation was being handled.\n\nThis is what institutional capture looks like. An FBI director reshaping the bureau to serve presidential grievances. A Justice Department repurposed to investigate the investigators. And a team of agents—whether they call it a “payback squad” or a “Director’s Advisory Team”—tasked with digging up dirt on the president’s enemies list.\n\nTrump campaigned on retribution. He promised to be a “warrior” for those “betrayed” by the government. Now that machinery is running, and it’s running in Florida federal courtrooms where Trump-appointed judges preside. The only question left is who gets caught in the gears.
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