General Info

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the primary investigative arm of the Department of Justice, which serves both the federal criminal investigative body and the domestic intelligence agency. Founded in 1908, the FBI has a storied history of fighting gangsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano in the 1930s, to hunting spies during World War II, and engaging in espionage during the Cold War of the 1950s. It was headed for most of this history by J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI maintains more than 50 locations in major cities throughout the United States. Originally known as G-Men, FBI agents are in more than 400 resident agencies in smaller cities and towns and over 50 in the FBI s jurisdiction, mandated by law, permit them to only perform within the domestic boundaries of the United States. The FBI has a staff of more than 30,500 employees that includes over 12,000 special agents and nearly 18,000 support professionals, such as intelligence analysts, language specialists, scientists and information technology specialists. Maintaining a location in Las Vegas, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is headed by a director who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.