WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Relatives of a former FBI agent who has been missing in Iran for three weeks said Wednesday they are worried and doing everything possible to find him. U.S. officials, meanwhile, downplayed the disappearance as routine.

Robert Levinson, 59, of Coral Springs, was last seen March 11 on the Iranian resort island of Kish. He was said to be working on a film on the island, known for its beaches, sea turtles and relatively liberal atmosphere. "We miss him and love him very much. We are worried about him and want him home safe and sound as soon as possible," his wife, Christine Levinson, and other relatives said in a statement to The Associated Press.

"This has been a very difficult time. In the past 48 hours, as this has become public, we've heard from many of our friends. We are touched and so grateful for the support and prayers we've received," the family said.

The family asked for privacy "as we do everything possible to bring Bob home."

Wes Robertson, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, said the State Department has contacted Iran for information on Levinson. The U.S. and Iran have no diplomatic relations, but do exchange information through neutral Swiss diplomats.

Iran replied to a U.S. request for information or help, and asked for additional details about the missing man's travel itinerary, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.

Levinson was an FBI agent in New York and Florida known for busting Italian and Russian mobsters. His work also helped bring down Colombia's Medellin drug cartel and Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, said Guy Lewis, the former U.S. attorney in Miami.

"Part of his work was developing information on the Medellin drug cartel which, of course, walked us straight into the Noriega case," Lewis said.

Retired from the FBI since 1998, Levinson owns a private security company, R.A. Levinson & Associates. He is also a principal at Business Integrity International, an international investigative firm in Miami and New Jersey.

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