Federal law enforcement in the United States


The federal government of the United States empowers a wide range of federal law enforcement agencies to maintain law and public order related to matters affecting the country as a whole.
While the majority of federal law enforcement employees work for the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, there are dozens of other federal law enforcement agencies under the other executive departments, as well as under the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government.
Federal agencies employ approximately 137,000 full-time personnel authorized to make arrests and/or carry firearms in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, out of the more than 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States.

Overview and history

Federal law enforcement in the United States is more than two hundred years old. For example, the Postal Inspection Service can trace its origins back to 1772, while the U.S. Marshals Service dates to 1789. Other agencies, such as the FBI, are relatively recent, being founded in the early twentieth century. Other agencies have been reformed, such as the ATF which was formed only in 1972, but had its origins in 1886. Some federal law enforcement agencies have been formed after mergers of other agencies, over the years. This includes the CBP, ATF, and the DEA. In 1794, the first known federal law enforcement officer line-of-duty death occurred; Robert Forsyth, United States Marshal for the District of Georgia, was shot in the head and murdered while attempting to serve process.
Military law enforcement, although federal, consists of both military personnel and civilian officers. For example, "DoD Police" refers to any civilian engaged in police duties for the DoD or the US Armed Forces. Each branch also has a law enforcement agency responsible for the investigation of more serious crimes and incidents, such as the Army’s [United States Army IRS Criminal Investigation|Criminal Investigation Division|Criminal Investigation Division].
Different federal law enforcement authorities have authority under different parts of the United States Code. Most are limited by the U.S. Code to investigating matters that are explicitly within the power of the federal government. There are exceptions, with some agencies and officials enforcing codes of U.S. states and tribes of Native Americans in the United States. Some federal investigative powers have become broader in practice, especially since the passage of the Patriot Act in October 2001.
The United States Department of Justice was formerly the largest and is still the most prominent, collection of federal law enforcement agencies. It has handled most law enforcement duties at the federal level and includes the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and others.
However, the United States Department of Homeland Security became the department with the most sworn armed Federal law enforcement officers and agents upon its creation in 2002 in response to the September 11 attacks when it incorporated agencies seen as having roles in protecting the country against terrorism. This included large agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection .

List of federal law enforcement agencies and units of agencies

Agencies in bold text are law enforcement agencies.

Executive branch

Department of Agriculture">United States Department of Agriculture">Department of Agriculture

Department of Commerce">United States Department of Commerce">Department of Commerce

Office of Inspector General

Department of Defense">United States Department of Defense">Department of Defense

Office of Inspector General

Department of Education">United States Department of Education">Department of Education

Office of Inspector General Protective Service Division

Department of Energy">United States Department of Energy">Department of Energy

Office of Inspector General Office of Health, Safety and Security

[United States [Department of Health and Human Services|Department of Health and Human Services]]

Office of Inspector General

Department of Homeland Security">United States Department of Homeland Security">Department of Homeland Security

[Department of United States Department of Homeland Security|Homeland Security Office of Inspector General|Office of Inspector General] Federal Protective Service

[United States [Department of Housing and Urban Development|Department of Housing and Urban Development]]

Office of Inspector General
  • '''Protective Service Division'''

Department of the Interior">United States Department of the Interior">Department of the Interior

Office of Inspector General

Department of Justice">United States Department of Justice">Department of Justice

Office of the Inspector General Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation

Department of Labor">United States Department of Labor">Department of Labor

Department of State">United States Department of State">Department of State

Office of Inspector General

Department of Transportation">United States Department of Transportation">Department of Transportation

Office of Inspector General

Department of the Treasury">United States Department of the Treasury">Department of the Treasury

Office of Inspector General Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program

Department of Veterans Affairs">United States Department of Veterans Affairs">Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of Inspector General

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Marshal of the United States Supreme Court

Other federal law enforcement agencies

Independent Agencies and federally-administered institutions;

List of former agencies and units of agencies