Assistant Director Michael R. Centrella, Office of Field Operations
Michael Centrella is a Federal law enforcement special agent with over 24 years of experience with the U.S. Secret Service, focusing equally on both the protective and investigative responsibilities of the agency. Mr. Centrella was certified by the Office of Personnel Management’s Qualification Review Board on December of 2019 and appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in May of 2022.
In February 2025, Mr. Centrella assumed responsibilities as the Assistant Director of the Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations, the Secret Service’s largest organizational unit, comprising 3,000 Special Agents and analytical, administrative, professional, and technical employees throughout 173 domestic and international offices. Mr. Centrella executes the agency’s mandate to safeguard America’s financial payment systems, prioritizing transnational criminal activity with case types ranging from attacks on payment card systems, business email compromise, ransomware, and a variety of cyber enabled financial crimes involving emerging technologies and digital currencies. In addition to field locations, he leads two headquarters divisions: the International Programs Division and the National Computer Forensics Institute. Prior to this role, Mr. Centrella served as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Secret Service Office of Field Operations.
Previously, Mr. Centrella served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Philadelphia Field Office, which is responsible for investigating all threats against and providing a secure environment for Secret Service protected persons; formulating and executing security plans for large, complex special events; proactively investigating, disrupting and prosecuting organized groups involved in complex cyber, counterfeit currency, fraud, and identity theft crimes; and building and maintaining a strong network of law enforcement, public safety, military and private sector partners to support Secret Service missions.
Prior to his position as the Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Field Office, Mr. Centrella served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Office of Chief Financial Officer, where he oversaw the planning and execution of the Secret Service $2.5 billion annual budget. As an Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Inspection Division, where he oversaw the Service’s fact-finding inquiries, and compliance inspections in both headquarters and the field. He was responsible to ensure compliance with USSS policies and procedures, to improve the agency, enhance accountability, and deliver the agencies standards mandated by Congress and expected by the public.
Prior to these positions, his Secret Service assignments were to the Inspection Division as the supervisor of internal policy matters, the Washington Field Office as the supervisor of the Protective Intelligence Squad, the Dignitary Protective Division as the National Special Security Events (NSSE) coordinator, the Protective Intelligence Division during both the Bush and Obama Administrations and an investigative agent in both the New York and Washington Field Offices.
Throughout his career, he initiated and managed high profile transnational fraud investigations and demonstrated expertise in intelligence gathering and analysis, risk assessment, mitigation, security, and protection of our Nation’s leaders and foreign dignitaries. Mr. Centrella has a proven ability to create and leverage key partnerships and relationships with Federal agencies, the Intelligence Community (IC), military leaders, and state and local, Tribal, Territorial, and foreign law enforcement. He began his Secret Service career investigating financial and identity theft investigations in the New York Metropolitan area.
Mr. Centrella’s education consists of a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice – Cabrini University, (2000). American University’s Senior Executive Service Leadership program (2019) and a Chief Information Security Officer certification from Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, he has participated in numerous leadership development programs to include the Arbinger Institute of Outward Mindset, hosted by the Department of Homeland Security.