The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Just the Facts
May 12, 2017
The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Just the Facts
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has more than
Investigative and Intelligence Work
36,000 employees and describes itself as an “intelligence-
The FBI’s 56 field offices in the United States and its legal
driven, threat-focused national security organization.” It is a
attachés abroad do much of the FBI’s investigative and
part of the Department of Justice and the Director of the
intelligence work, while three branches in the FBI
FBI reports to the U.S. Attorney General and the Director
Headquarters coordinate these efforts. Two—the FBI’s
of National Intelligence. Broad changes to FBI operations
National Security Branch and its Intelligence Branch—
and structure since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
reflect the focus of the FBI on counterterrorism and
in the United States (9/11) have underscored its dual law
intelligence since 9/11. The third—the Criminal, Cyber,
enforcement and intelligence missions, among which
Response, and Services Branch—includes cyber crime as
counterterrorism is the first priority.
well as investigative programs that can be seen as more
traditional aspects of the FBI’s mission.
Budget
A sizeable increase in the FBI’s budget has accompanied
The National Security Branch
the reprioritization and reorganization of the FBI since
The National Security Branch broadly manages FBI
9/11. Much of this expansion has gone to bolstering FBI
attempts to thwart terrorists and spies (the FBI’s first two
counterterrorism and intelligence capacities. From FY2001
priorities). Within the National Security Branch there are
through FY2017, nominal appropriations for the FBI have
several divisions, directorates, and centers, including
increased 170%, from $3.3 billion to $9.0 billion. In
inflation-adjusted terms, appropriations for the FBI
Counterterrorism Division: responsible for
increased 93%. (Inflation-adjusted amounts are in FY2017
counterterrorism investigations conducted by Joint
dollars. Appropriations were adjusted for inflation using the
Terrorism Task Forces throughout the country. The FBI
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Chained Price Index.)
is the lead agency for federal terrorism investigations
(28 C.F.R. 0.85(l)).
Mission and Priorities
The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and
Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate:
uphold the Constitution. The FBI has authority to
coordinates efforts designed to prevent and respond to
investigate all federal crime not assigned exclusively to
the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
another federal agency (28 U.S.C. §533). It also provides
weapons.
criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, tribal,
and territorial law enforcement agencies and partners.
Terrorist Screening Center: maintains the
consolidated watch list of known or suspected terrorists.
The FBI’s priorities are
Counterintelligence Division: works to investigate and
protecting the United States from terrorist attack,
prevent theft of sensitive information by hostile actors
from the U.S. government and private industries. It can
protecting the United States against foreign intelligence
include acquisition of material or technology considered
operations and espionage;
classified, sensitive, or proprietary. The division also
seeks to prevent weapons of mass destruction from
protecting the United States against cyber-based attacks
being obtained by criminals or terrorists.
and high-technology crimes,
combating public corruption at all levels,
Terrorism Investigations. Joint Terrorism Task
Forces (JTTFs) led by the FBI play the chief role in
protecting civil rights,
coordinating federal counterterrorism investigations
across the United States, bringing together federal,
combating transnational/national criminal organizations
state, and local agencies in the process. JTTFs are
and enterprises,
multiagency teams of investigators, analysts, linguists,
and other specialists who investigate terrorism and
combating major white-collar crime, and
terrorism-related crimes. Among their many roles, the
agents, task force officers, and intelligence
combating significant violent crime.
professionals working on JTTFs gather leads, evidence,
and information related to terrorism suspects. They
The order of these top eight priorities has not changed since
analyze and share this information to help develop
2002, when the FBI announced them as a response to 9/11.
cases for prosecution, most often in federal court.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Just the Facts
The FBI Intelligence Branch
the FBI’s expertise or capabilities can increase the
The work of the Intelligence Branch is not restricted to any
likelihood of successful investigations. The FBI works
one of the FBI’s eight priorities. Rather, intelligence
with other federal investigative or regulatory agencies
collection, production, and dissemination can be found
when conducting white collar crime investigations. The
throughout the FBI’s priority programs. According to the
FBI’s white collar crime program addresses public
FBI, this branch oversees intelligence policy. It includes the
corruption (including government fraud and border
Directorate of Intelligence, the FBI’s dedicated national
corruption), corporate fraud, securities and commodities
intelligence workforce. The directorate has responsibility
fraud, mortgage fraud and other financial institution
for all FBI intelligence functions and includes intelligence
fraud, health care fraud, other complex financial crimes,
elements and personnel that reside at FBI Headquarters,
and intellectual property rights enforcement.
each of its field offices, and in some of the FBI’s legal
attaché offices abroad. Intelligence collection, analysis,
Significant Violent Crime. The FBI continues to play a
exploitation, and dissemination are at the core of FBI
role in preventing and responding to violent crime in
efforts to stop national security threats.
communities across the country. The FBI places an
investigative emphasis on violent crimes with a federal
The Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services
nexus, such as criminal street gangs, crimes against
Branch
children, child prostitution, bank robberies and other
violent robberies, carjackings, kidnappings, fugitives
Among its investigative responsibilities, the Criminal,
and missing persons, crimes in Indian Country, and
Cyber, Response, and Services Branch manages FBI
assaults and threats of assault on the president and other
casework related to the FBI’s other six priorities. The
federal officials.
branch includes two divisions covering these issues:
The Criminal Investigative Division oversees
The Cyber Division focuses on high-level intrusions by
investigations in more traditional FBI priority areas:
state-sponsored hackers and global cyber syndicates as
well as the most prolific botnets (networks of private
Public Corruption. FBI investigations in this area focus
computers unwittingly infected by malware, controlled
on violations of federal law by public officials; fraud
by an attacker, and used to carry out malicious activity).
tied to federal government procurement, contracts, and
The division addresses other cyber crimes as well. The
federally funded programs; public corruption along the
FBI leads the multiagency National Cyber Investigative
nation’s borders and points of entry; environmental
Joint Task Force, which coordinates cyber threat
crime; and election fraud.
investigations. Most of the FBI’s investigative work in
this area occurs at more than 90 Computer Crimes Task
Civil Rights. The FBI is the primary federal agency
Forces operating in field offices across the country.
responsible for investigating allegations regarding
violations of federal civil rights statutes. The FBI’s civil
Criminal Justice Services
rights program consists of four subprograms: hate
The FBI also provides a wide range of services to federal,
crimes, color of law violations (i.e., government
state, local, tribal, foreign, and private sector partners as
officials, acting under their authority, depriving people
well as the general public. For example, the Criminal
of rights protected by U.S. law or the Constitution),
Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) provides the
human trafficking, and Freedom of Access to Clinic
public with crime statistics through the Uniform Crime
Entrances (FACE) Act violations (18 U.S.C. §248).
Reporting Program. CJIS maintains the National Instant
Criminal Background Check System, which is used by
Transnational/National Criminal Organizations. The
federally licensed gun retailers to help determine whether a
FBI seeks to eliminate transnational organized crime
prospective purchaser is eligible to buy firearms. Finally,
groups that pose a threat to the security of the United
CJIS operates the National Crime Information Center,
States. Such groups are involved in international drug
which it describes as “a clearinghouse of crime data that
trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking,
can be tapped by virtually every criminal justice agency
money laundering, firearms trafficking, illegal
nationwide.”
gambling, extortion, and counterfeiting goods.
Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy
White-Collar Crime. The FBI generally focuses on
Jerome P. Bjelopera, Acting Coordinator of Division
complex white collar crime investigations—often with a
Research Specialist
nexus to organized crime activities—that are
international, national, or regional in scope and where
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation: Just the Facts
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