Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United
States, which simultaneously serves as the nation's prime federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the
jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice, the
FBI is concurrently a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National
Intelligence.[2] A leading U.S. counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative
organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories
of federal crimes.[3]
Although many of the FBI's functions are unique, its activities
in support of national security are comparable to those of the British MI5 and the Russian FSB. Unlike the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which has no law enforcement
authority and is focused on intelligence collection overseas, the FBI is
primarily a domestic agency, maintaining 56 field offices in major cities throughout the United
States, and more than 400 resident agencies in lesser cities and areas across
the nation. At an FBI field office, a senior-level FBI officer concurrently
serves as the representative of the Director of National
Intelligence.[4][5]
Despite its domestic focus, the FBI also maintains a significant
international footprint, operating 60 Legal Attache (LEGAT) offices and 15
sub-offices in U.S.
embassies and consulates across the
globe. These overseas offices exist primarily for the purpose of coordination
with foreign security services and do not usually conduct unilateral operations
in the host countries.[6] The FBI can and does at times carry out
secret activities overseas,[7] just as the CIA has a limited domestic function; these
activities generally require coordination across government agencies.
The FBI was established in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation (BOI). Its name was changed to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1935. The FBI headquarters is the J. Edgar Hoover Building,
located in Washington,
D.C.
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Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Flag of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
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 Badge of an FBI agent |
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Agency overview
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Formed
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July 26, 1908; 108 years ago as the Bureau of Investigation
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Jurisdiction
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Headquarters
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Motto
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Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity
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Employees
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Annual budget
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Agency executives
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Parent agency
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Website
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FBI field divisions map