FBI American Federal Bureau of Investigation Secret History

Author: Du Xianfeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Deciphering secret intelligence agency archives reveals the inner workings of secret spies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the primary agent investigation department under the U.S. Department of Justice, the largest counterintelligence agency and most important federal law enforcement agency in the United States. It is also the largest central hub for investigation and liaison, partnering with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to become a symbol of U.S. espionage and playing a significant role in modern American history. In 1908, Attorney General Bonaparte established the Bureau within the Department of Justice to fulfill the need for a federal investigative agency. In 1924, Attorney General Stone appointed him as the director and ordered the bureau to be reorganized. The FBI is headquartered on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., with a current staff of 50,000, including over 400 experts and 10,000 dedicated agents. Its annual budget exceeds $700 million, making the FBI the largest counterintelligence and counterespionage agency in the world. Major divisions include: the Criminal Investigative Division, the Criminal Records Service, the Training Division, the Inspection Division, the Administrative Division, the Domestic Intelligence Division, the National Crime Information Center, the Scientific Laboratory, the Communications Division, the Legal Services Division, and the Technical Services Division, among others. The FBI operates 59 field offices across various states and major cities in the U.S. Each field office has branch offices spread throughout towns and rural areas. Every field office employs dedicated counterintelligence agents and an intelligence collection team.