Outsider Agent

Anthony Arismendi moved to the United States from Venezuela as a teenager in the mid-seventies with the dream of becoming a US 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. Profoundly inspirational, Arismendi's unique blend of hard work, perseverance, and mysticism in the face of relentless adversity reminds us 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.

Anthony Arismendi moved to the United States from Venezuela as a teenager in the mid-seventies with the dream of becoming a US 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. Profoundly inspirational, Arismendi's unique blend of hard work, perseverance, and mysticism in the face of relentless adversity reminds us 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.

Anthony Arismendi is a former FBI agent with a highly decorated and distinguished career spanning two decades of undercover operations against drug cartels, gangs, organized crime, violent criminals, and terrorist organizations. He has served as a member of the FBI's SWAT team, as a supervisory agent in two field offices and FBI Headquarters, and as a unit chief in the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. Today, he is the President and CEO of ARIXMAR and a sought-after public speaker, sharing his compelling and motivating story with public and private organizations across the country.