Longwood University News
Robin Andrews, ’83, served 23 years as an FBI agent.
FBI Agent Robin Andrews, ’83
On Campus
Kent Booty Associate Editor The investigation into the horrific shooting in Tucson, Arizona, in January that left a congresswoman critically injured and claimed six lives has a Longwood connection.
“ Fortunately, I’ve never been injured in the line of duty, and, even though I’ve had my weapon out, pointing at subjects, I’ve never had to fire,” Andrews said in a phone interview in late March. “However, I’ve been spit at, vomited on, shouted at, cursed at – everything you can think of.”
Robin Andrews ’83 led the Violent Crimes squad of the
Before joining the FBI, her job was even more dangerous.
Tucson FBI office, which spearheaded the investigation,
She was an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) scuba diver
until retiring May 31 after a 23-year career as an FBI agent.
during a five-year stint with the Navy. Her assignments in
Andrews also led the investigation in another high-profile case,
that career, in which she attained the rank of petty officer
the shooting death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry near
third class, included Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Fallon
Tucson in December 2010. Though she is retired – her last
Naval Air Station in Nevada, and a submarine tender in
day was her 50th birthday – she may be called to testify
Holy Loch, Scotland.
in either case. “EOD scuba divers look for live torpedoes on the ocean Andrews, who oversaw eight other special agents, was the first
floor and place plastic explosives on the torpedoes, blowing
female agent in what is officially the Tucson resident agency
them up in place, to render them safe,” she said. “I was
of the FBI’s Phoenix division, which investigates crimes in
never injured, but one time, while diving in Virginia Beach,
Southwest Arizona. She had held the rank of Supervisory
there were sharks beside me in the water. There was also a
Special Agent since 2006. Before commanding the Violent
time in Holy Loch, Scotland, when my dive buddy and
Crimes squad, she led the Cyber Squad and before that the
I were connected by a line. He had placed too much weight
Drug Squad. In her FBI career, all of which was spent in
on his weight belt, and we sank to the lake floor, quickly
Tucson, she investigated homicides, drug crimes, and crimes
becoming stuck in the ocean mud. It became a life-
against children including sexual abuse and Internet child
threatening situation. I pulled him over to me and hit his
pornography exploitation. Her work included investigations
chest, motioning him to inflate his buoyancy control vest,
on two American Indian reservations near Tucson, one of
as I did. Visibility was extremely poor, but we finally made
which, the home of the Tohono O’odham Nation, is the
it back to the surface. Another time, around Maryland,
third largest reservation in the United States.
jellyfish were everywhere – literally thousands of them – and I was dressed in coveralls to cover every part of my body except around my regulator, so they stung my lips which was quite painful. After a coworker and good friend on my EOD team died while diving on a training mission,
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