Omar Bennett
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a US government agency with the broadest investigative authority of all federal law enforcement agencies. The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. The FBI's investigative scope includes domestic and international terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organised crime, white-collar crime, violent crimes, and major offenders. The FBI also investigates specific crimes such as kidnappings, bank robberies, and crimes against children. If a possible violation of federal law under the FBI's jurisdiction has occurred, the Bureau will conduct an investigation and present the findings to the appropriate US Attorney or Department of Justice official. The FBI's investigative tools include intelligence, science, technology, and special tactics employed by highly trained agents, analysts, and personnel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mission | To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States |
| Primary investigative functions | Domestic and international terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organized crime/drugs, white-collar crime, violent crimes and major offenders, and applicant matters |
| Top investigative priority | Counter terrorism |
| Other areas of investigation | Violent crime involving gangs, crimes against children, crimes in Indian Country, fugitives and missing persons, kidnappings, bank robberies, cyberattacks, transnational organized crime groups, espionage, hate crime, colour of law abuses by public officials, human trafficking, involuntary servitude, freedom of access to clinic entrances violations, border corruption, election crimes, international corruption, prison corruption, weapons of mass destruction |
| Investigative philosophy | Close relations and information sharing with other federal, state, local, and international law enforcement and intelligence agencies |
| Investigative tools | Intelligence, science, technology, special tactics, and teams |
| Investigative approach | Gathering facts and evidence to solve and prevent crimes |
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What You'll Learn
Hate crimes, human trafficking, and civil rights violations
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating a wide range of crimes, including cyberattacks, transnational organised crime, and acts of terrorism. The FBI is also the lead agency for enforcing civil rights law and investigating civil rights violations, hate crimes, human trafficking, and involuntary servitude.
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are a top priority for the FBI's civil rights program due to their devastating impact on families and communities. The FBI investigates hundreds of hate crime cases each year and works to prevent future incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with community groups. The Bureau's investigative activities focus on criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes, including hate crimes motivated by bias against race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. The FBI also investigates colour of law crimes, which involve the misuse of discretion by law enforcement or criminal justice professionals, such as excessive force or police misconduct.
The FBI's role in investigating hate crimes increased following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Bureau has investigated hate crimes as far back as World War I. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 expanded the FBI's authority to investigate crimes motivated by biases of sex, disability, or actual or perceived sexual orientation. If someone believes they are a victim or witness to a hate crime, they can report it to the FBI anonymously.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a federal crime that the FBI aggressively investigates as part of its responsibility to enforce civil rights law and protect vulnerable individuals. The FBI works closely with its law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and bring perpetrators to justice.
Civil Rights Violations
The FBI is committed to upholding the civil rights of the American people and investigates a range of civil rights violations, including violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The Bureau also investigates public corruption, including border corruption, election crimes, international corruption, and prison corruption. These crimes may not be violent, but they have significant impacts and are not victimless.
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Public corruption, including border and election crimes
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has the broadest investigative authority of all federal law enforcement agencies in the US. The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. The FBI has divided its investigations into several programs, including domestic and international terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organised crime/drugs, white-collar crime, violent crime, and major offenders.
Public corruption is the FBI's top criminal investigative priority. This includes border corruption, election crimes, international corruption, and prison corruption. These crimes are not violent, but they are also not victimless. White-collar crimes can destroy companies, wipe out people's life savings, cost investors billions, and erode the public's trust in institutions.
Border Corruption
The FBI helps combat the threat posed by public corruption at the nation's borders, ports of entry, seaports, and international airports. More than a million people enter the US every day through more than 300 official ports of entry. The federal government also protects approximately 7,000 miles of the US border and 95,000 miles of shoreline. Common acts of border corruption involve drug trafficking and human smuggling. The FBI has investigated corrupt government and law enforcement officials who accept bribes in return for allowing drugs or people to pass through ports of entry or checkpoints, overlooking or escorting loads of contraband. Border corruption potentially impacts national security as well.
Election Crimes
The FBI, through its Public Corruption Unit, has a crucial but limited role in ensuring free and fair elections. In democratic societies like the United States, the voting process allows citizens to hold their government accountable, channel conflicts into resolutions, and transfer power peacefully. The system of representative government only works when honest ballots are not diluted by fraudulent ballots. Federal election crimes fall into three broad categories: campaign finance crimes, voter/ballot fraud, and civil rights violations.
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Transnational organised crime, such as terrorism and drug trafficking
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. The FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes. The FBI's investigative authority is the broadest of all federal law enforcement agencies.
Transnational organized crime (TOC) groups are a key focus for the FBI, particularly those that pose a significant threat to the national and economic security of the United States. These groups are often involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal gambling, political corruption, extortion, kidnapping, fraud, counterfeiting, murders, bombings, weapons trafficking, and the infiltration of legitimate businesses. The FBI works closely with domestic and international partners to infiltrate, disrupt, and dismantle these groups, targeting their leadership and neutralizing their operations.
The FBI's efforts to counter transnational organized crime include focusing on Mexican, Central American, and South American criminal organizations and their illicit finance activities, as well as the flow of illegal drugs. They also investigate Italian organized crime groups, such as the Italian Mafia, which has become transnational in nature and collaborates with other international crime groups.
In addition, the FBI pays close attention to the use of cyber techniques by TOC groups, either as a tool to facilitate other crimes or as a means to commit cyber crimes themselves. The FBI's investigative philosophy emphasizes information sharing and collaboration with other federal, state, local, and international law enforcement and intelligence agencies to effectively combat transnational organized crime.
The FBI also plays a crucial role in combating violent crime involving gangs, crimes against children, kidnappings, and bank robberies. They are the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorist organizations, working to neutralize domestic extremists and dismantle terrorist networks worldwide.
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Kidnapping and missing persons
In the case of kidnapping and missing persons, the FBI has a clear and swift procedure for getting involved in an investigation. The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the US Constitution, and it has a specific focus on violent crimes against children.
The FBI will initiate a kidnapping investigation involving a missing child, typically defined as a child "of tender years," which generally means a child 12 years or younger. This initiation does not depend on interstate transportation, ransom demands, or a 24-hour waiting period, as commonly misconceived. Their role is to help investigate the disappearance, recover the child, and apprehend those responsible, working closely with local law enforcement agencies and leveraging their investigative resources and technical assets.
The FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team is a crucial asset in these cases. The team consists of seasoned investigators with extensive experience in crimes against children, particularly child abductions. They are deployed soon after an abduction is reported and work with FBI behavioural analysis experts and technical specialists. The CARD team can quickly establish on-site command posts to centralise investigative efforts and has been successful in safely locating and returning numerous children to their families.
In cases of international parental kidnapping, the FBI pursues criminal action on a case-by-case basis, working with international authorities through the US Department of State, the Legal Attaché program, and Interpol. Their authority in these cases stems from the Fugitive Felon Act, which applies to interstate or international parental kidnapping. Additionally, the FBI posts information on kidnapped and missing persons on its "Wanted by the FBI" website, providing the public with access to photographs and details.
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Cybercrime and computer-related crimes
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the lead federal agency for investigating cyberattacks by criminals, overseas adversaries, and terrorists. The FBI's investigative authority is the broadest of all federal law enforcement agencies, and it has divided its investigations into several programs, including cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organized crime/drugs, and white-collar crime.
The FBI is charged with investigating computer-related crimes involving both criminal acts and national security issues. Criminal acts include using a computer to commit fraud or using the internet to transmit obscene material. The FBI also investigates criminal matters that impact national security, such as the country's computerized banking and financial systems, the various 911 emergency networks, and telecommunications systems.
The FBI works closely with other federal, state, local, and international law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat cybercrime. They also foster a team approach through unique hubs where government, industry, and academia form long-term trusted relationships to combine efforts against cyber threats. One such hub is the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF).
The FBI also provides resources to help individuals and businesses protect themselves from cybercriminals. They offer information on their website about common cyber threats, such as business email compromise (BEC) scams, identity theft, ransomware, spoofing, phishing, and online predators. If an individual becomes a victim of a cyber-enabled crime or fraud, they can file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible to support the recovery of lost funds.
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Frequently asked questions
The FBI has a broad investigative scope, covering areas such as domestic and international terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organised crime/drugs, white-collar crime, violent crimes, and major offenders.
The FBI's top priorities are countering terrorism, investigating cyberattacks, and dismantling transnational organised crime groups that threaten national security. Public corruption, including election crimes and border corruption, is also a key focus.
The FBI encourages citizens to promptly report any suspicious activity involving crimes within their investigative scope, such as terrorism, cyber crime, and civil rights violations. You can also request information about your own background investigation through the Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts.
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