CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA (VINnews) – Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI’s Miami Field Office delivered opening remarks Monday at a Secure Community Network conference, focusing on hate crimes directed at the Jewish community and the bureau’s efforts to counter them.

Skiles spoke at a panel that also included Michael Masters, national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization for the North American Jewish community, and Rebecca Kagan Sternhell, SCN’s chief of external affairs and engagement. Other participants included representatives from Israeli and German security entities.

According to the FBI Miami Field Office, Skiles addressed the ongoing threat of hate-motivated violence against Jews and the importance of partnerships between the FBI, local law enforcement, and community organizations in preventing attacks and holding offenders accountable.

The Secure Community Network, founded in 2004 under the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, works with Jewish institutions nationwide to monitor threats, provide training, and coordinate with law enforcement. Masters has frequently highlighted elevated risks to Jewish communities since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, including surges in reported incidents and the need for coordinated preparedness.

FBI data have repeatedly shown Jews as the most targeted religious group in U.S. hate crime statistics, accounting for the large majority of religion-based incidents despite comprising roughly 2 percent of the population. Recent reports indicated Jews were the victims of about 63-64 percent of such crimes in 2025.

The FBI Miami post on the remarks emphasized that “through strong partnerships with community organizations and law enforcement, the FBI remains committed to protecting our communities, preventing hate motivated violence, and holding offenders accountable.”

Skiles, who has led the Miami Field Office as special agent in charge after previously serving in an acting capacity, has overseen a range of local efforts including counterterrorism coordination, partnerships with South Florida law enforcement, and major event security planning.

No specific details of the remarks beyond the focus on Jewish community threats and partnerships were released by the FBI.