In 1908 Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issued an Order creating an investigative agency within the Department of Justice. The Order was confirmed in 1909, ordering the establishment of the Bureau of Investigation. The present name, Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, was designated by Congress in 1935. Now in its second century, the FBI must continue to protect the American people from increasingly complex threats in an increasingly interconnected world. At all times, it acts with obedience to the Constitution and with fairness, compassion, honesty, integrity, and respect.
The FBI is an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities. It is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice and a full member of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The FBI has a dual and complementary mission - enforcing federal law, as well as combating and protecting against security threats facing our national security. Throughout its history, the FBI has adapted to address the changing threat environment, shifting from focusing on building cases for prosecution to using prosecution as one tool, among many, to dismantle national security threats and criminal activity.
