Larry Keefe, an Okaloosa County native and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, will lead the Florida Department of Law Enforcement following a vote of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday morning.
- Keefe succeeds FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass, who has accepted a new role with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. DeSantis said the state was notified of Glass’ departure earlier this month.
“To ensure continuity, we must move forward with selecting a successor,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis appointed Keefe under Section 20.201 of Florida Statutes, which makes the appointment subject to a majority vote of the governor and Cabinet. The motion carried unanimously.
In introducing the appointment, DeSantis pointed to the roles Keefe has held in his administration and at the federal level.
“Larry served our administration as public safety czar, then as executive director of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement. He was also the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida,” DeSantis said. “In every position he had, he’s performed at the highest possible level. Larry will lead the agency with distinction, ensuring the rule of law and public safety remain a top priority.”
Keefe, a Choctawhatchee High School alumnus, was appointed executive director of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement in February 2025 during a Florida Cabinet meeting at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville. Get The Coast covered that appointment here.
Following the vote, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier thanked Glass for his tenure, noting that FDLE has taken on new responsibilities in recent years, including retail theft, election fraud and assisting the attorney general’s child predator unit.
- “We’ve broken every record in the book on arrests and prosecutions, and Florida’s at a record crime low in large part because of his leadership and help,” Uthmeier said.
DeSantis also credited Glass with the agency’s progress during his time as commissioner.
“I think if you look at the agency when he started versus now, there’s been huge successes,” DeSantis said. “The agency’s done better than ever, and we wish you well in this new endeavor.”
