Ideas in the Wild: Anthony Arismendi Tells Us How Coming From Venezuela Made Him Successful in the FBI
Anthony Arismendi moved to the United States from Venezuela as a teenager in the mid-70s with the dream of becoming a U.S. citizen and an FBI agent — despite the fact that he couldn’t speak a word of English. Transplanted from the dangerous streets of Caracas, Arismendi’s unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box approach to life landed him in plenty of comical, often precarious situations. Still, he adapted his survival skills to a new culture, one harrowing day at a time, overcoming homelessness, prejudice, and poverty to achieve the impossible.
Arismendi’s unique blend of hard work, perseverance, and mysticism in the face of relentless adversity reminds us all that our reservoirs of courage and determination run far deeper than we know — and that we should never give up on our dreams, no matter how out of reach they might seem. I recently caught up with Anthony to learn more about his journey and his book, Outsider Agent, which is based upon his life story and attempts to accurately recreate events, locales, and conversations from friends, coworkers, family members, and his memories of them.
How did your upbringing help you prepare for a career in the FBI?
It was a combination of things that motivated me to become an FBI Agent. The goal of serving was already wired in me. The stories about my family history — knowing that Juan Bautista Arismendi and his wife Luisa were two key and prominent figures in the South American revolution as the general in command of the armies under Simón Bolívar (the George Washington of South America) and as the beautiful heroine with an indomitable spirit who defied the Spanish Crown and inspired a new continent of nations — always filled me with a sense of pride, duty, and destiny.
I loved my career. I loved what I did. I loved that I was able to contribute in a unique way. I understood the nuances, things that can be the difference between success and failure, and I saw things that other people didn’t. A lot of it was due to growing up in Venezuela and having to learn the way of the streets. Many of my superiors recognized that, so I had a lot of latitude and was able to create my own reality within the FBI.
During my career, I went after large-scale organized crime, drug cartels, gangs, violent criminals, and terrorist organizations. I was an outsider with a different perspective, working undercover, creating, producing, and directing undercover operations.
What’s an idea from the book you think can benefit people?
I loved working for the FBI, and I had a knack for it. I could think on my feet very quickly, and I could see various scenarios playing out in my head. I was able to examine what was happening from the perspective of every person involved. If we pay attention more to our surroundings and to what other people are feeling, we’re going to learn a lot. In my business, it was vital to get a feeling for your adversary. You walk into a room, and you have to take in everything at once. Every element of a situation tells you something about the person you’re going after.
I mainly went after crooks who had been on the radar a long time but who no one could ever really get. To do so, I was forced to get creative. It was challenging. It was fun. It was interesting. It was intellectually stimulating in so many different ways. And it was dangerous.
I was always putting myself in the mindset of the criminal. I had to learn how to think like a criminal. Who are they? What motivates them? How can I influence them? I had to get them to laugh, to cry, and to go along with me.
I would try to peel the layers off so I could really get to know the person I was trying to take down. I became an amateur psychologist, sociologist, and even an astrologer. I wasn’t trying to diagnose them or use medical terms. I just wanted to understand their motivations fully. What got this person there? Where did I think they were going? And then I would try to predict their next move. Once I figured that out, I would assess how I would counter that move. I was always playing a chess game. It was fun, it was stimulating, it was stressful, and it was scary!
What is your story ultimately about?
I would do it all again in a heartbeat! I came to the greatest country in the world with nothing, not speaking a word of English, became a U.S. citizen, and went to work for the premier law enforcement agency in the world. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
An extraordinary adventure indeed my life has been. To have been an FBI agent was beyond my wildest expectations. I went for it, and it happened. And I feel very fortunate and honored that I was able to serve and give back to the country that embraced me and has given me every opportunity. Through my years with the FBI and everything else, I learned a lot about myself and who I really am — an eternal spirit having a human experience.
The danger, stressful situations, and adversity actually brought out the spiritual side of me. Luckily for me, it opened me up and made me into a better person, for which I’m grateful.
