Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Among the U.S. federal law enforcement agencies with international activities, two have a wide-ranging global presence: the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In the United States, some other police agencies also have clear international orientations.
“As the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is responsible for the enforcement of various federal violations of criminal law that have distinct international dimensions, including the policing of terrorism and drug trafficking, the organization of a system of liaison agents abroad, and the administration of international police training programs. The FBI’s system of legal attachés (or legats) is operative in all continents of the globe, currently covering 52 countries. The FBI attachés can engage in criminal investigations abroad and assist foreign police in making arrests, but they cannot make arrests on foreign soil. Among the most interesting recent expansions of the FBI’s international role are the elaboration of its international training programs and the increase in attention to the fight against international terrorism. The FBI administers training programs of foreign police at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, as well as at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Opened in April 1995, the Budapest Academy offers to students from Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic states courses in advanced techniques to combat modern crime while respecting human and civil rights. The FBI’s work on terrorism is coordinated through the Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence division, which oversees anti-terrorism activities both at home as well as abroad.” (1)
The “level of professional autonomy of modern U.S. police institutions, especially the FBI, is now at un unparalleled high level, so that police can effectively resist political influences to remain involved with police work that harmonizes with professional standards of expertise and knowledge with respect to the means and objectives of counter-terrorism.” (2)
Notes and References
- Deflem, Mathieu. 2005. “International Policing —The Role of the United States.” Pp. 808-812 in The Encyclopedia of Criminology, edited by Richard A. Wright and J. Mitchell Miller. New York: Routledge.
- Id.
Further Reading
- Deflem, Mathieu. 2001. “International Police Cooperation in Northern America.” Pp. 71-98 in International Police Cooperation: A World Perspective, edited by Daniel J. Koenig and Dilip K. Das. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
- Deflem, Mathieu. 2002. Policing World Society: Historical Foundations of International Police Cooperation. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
- Deflem, Mathieu. 2003. “The Boundaries of International Cooperation: Problems and Prospects of U.S.-Mexican Policing.” In Corruption, Police, Security & Democracy, edited by Menachem Amir and Stanley Einstein. Huntsville, TX: Office of International Criminal Justice.
- Dunn, Timothy J. 1996. The Militarization of the U.S.-Mexico Border, 1978-1992. Austin, TX: CMAS Books.
- Koenig, Daniel J., and Dilip K. Das, eds. 2001. International Police Cooperation: A World Perspective. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
- Marenin, Otwin. 2001. “United States International Policing Activities: An Overview.” Pp. 297-322 in International Police Cooperation: A World Perspective, edited by Daniel J. Koenig and Dilip K. Das. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
- McDonald, William F., ed. 1997. Crime and Law Enforcement in the Global Village. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing.
- Nadelmann, Ethan A. 1993. Cops Across Borders: The Internationalization of U.S. Criminal Law Enforcement. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
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