For more than eight decades, the FBI has sent special agents and other personnel overseas. We help keep Americans safe at home by building relationships with leading law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies around the world. Now, at a time when virtually every major FBI investigation has a significant international dimension, these partnerships have never been more critical.
Our legal attaché offices – commonly known as legates – and sub-offices are located in major cities around the world and provide coverage for over 180 countries, territories and islands. Approximately 250 special agents and support personnel are stationed at FBI locations around the world.
Our Legal Attaché program is administered by the International Operations Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. managed.
Through the Legal Attaché program and other efforts, the International Operations Division serves as a bridge to our foreign partners and as a channel to strengthen the global rule of law. He regularly collaborates with elements of the international law enforcement community such as Interpol and Europol and various working groups, task forces and training initiatives.
The office coordinates meetings with international leaders and maintains close liaison with other federal agencies, foreign law enforcement and security officials in Washington, D.C. and national and international law enforcement organizations.
Several US federal laws give the FBI the power to investigate extraterritorial criminal and terrorist activity. However, the FBI conducts investigations abroad only at the invitation of the host country. In most cases, our international partners collect evidence and make arrests on behalf of or in close cooperation with the FBI.
Each legacy is established by mutual agreement with the host country and is located at that country's US Embassy or Consulate. FBI personnel abroad serve under the authority of the State Department, chief of missions of US embassies, at the discretion of ambassadors and host country governments.
International calls and information exchanges are made in accordance with executive orders, statutes, contracts, instructions from the Attorney General, FBI policies, and interagency agreements.
The role of the legal attaché
The FBI agent who heads an international office is also known as a legal attaché or legatee. They act as personal representatives of the FBI Director in the country where they have regional responsibilities.
Legal Attachés are highly qualified and experienced investigators who work directly and openly with their international counterparts. They do not conduct foreign intelligence or counterintelligence investigations. Most legal attachés are assisted by an assistant or deputy legal attaché and other staff.
Typical duties of a legal attaché include:
- coordinate requests for assistance from the foreign FBI or host country
- Carry out investigations in coordination with the host government
- Exchange of leads and investigative information
- coordinate FBI training courses for officers in their geographic areas
- Direct embassy colleagues from other agencies, including law enforcement and ambassadors
- Country Permissions Management
- Providing culture log status reports
- Assessment of the political and security climate
- coordinate humanitarian aid and victim support
How Legal Attachés help protect our nation
- relationship building:Lacking traditional executive powers abroad, FBI agents must rely on strong, mutually beneficial relationships with their overseas counterparts. Legal attachés maintain regular, often face-to-face, contact with foreign authorities and security agencies, allowing for immediate and ongoing exchange of information and mutual assistance in investigations. the Department of Justice, the Department of State, Interpol and other law enforcement and security agencies.
- Physical proximity:Legal attachés are positioned to allow agents to reach virtually anywhere in the world within hours, enabling the FBI to respond more quickly and effectively to terrorist attacks, cybercrime, casual sightings, emergencies, natural disasters and other global security matters.
- Education/Rule of Law:ByInternational training facilitated by legal attachés, the FBI provides foreign law enforcement officers with skills in basic and advanced investigative techniques and principles that promote cooperation and aid in the collection of evidence. These efforts are helping to build more effective and democratic policing institutions around the world and strengthening the global rule of law. Significant training programs funded by the Department of State or Defense include the International Law Enforcement Academies in Budapest, Hungary; Bangkok, Thailand; Gaborone, Botswana; and San Salvador, El Salvador, as well as bilateral training programs on counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction and terrorist financing.
- Detection and Prevention:Legal Attachés monitor criminal activity, national security threats, and emerging trends in the countries and regions they serve, acting as an early warning system to prevent crime and terrorism from reaching our shores.
Africa|America|Asia|Eastern Europe and Eurasia|Europa|Middle East
Abuja, Nigeria
American Embassy: 011-234-9-461-4000
Nations Covered: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria
Subsidiary Lagos, Nigeria
American Consulate: 011-234-1-460-3400
Ghana Ghana
American Embassy: 011-233-30-2741-000
Nations Covered: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
American Embassy: 011-251-11-130-6000
Nations Covered: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan
Dakar, Senegal
American Embassy: 011-221-33-879-4000
Nations Covered: Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone
Nairobi, Kenya
American Embassy: 011-254-20-363-6000
Nations Covered: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda
Pretoria, South Africa
American Embassy: 011-27-12-431-4000
Nations Covered: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Rabat, Morocco
American Embassy: 011-212-537-762-265
Nations Covered: Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara
Tunisia
American Embassy: 011-216-71-107-000
Nations Covered: Algeria, Libya, Niger, Tunisia
Niamey, Niger extension
American Embassy: 011-277-20-72-26-61
Bogota Colombian
American Embassy: 011-571-275-2000
Nations Covered: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Brasilia Brazil
American Embassy: 011-55-61-3312-7000
011-55-61-3312-7400 (out of hours)
Country Covered: Brazil
Bridgetown, Barbados
US Embassy: 1-246-436-4950
Nations Covered: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, French Guiana, French West Indies, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Montserrat, Nassau (St. Barthelemy and French St. Martin Islands ), Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire and Curaçao islands, Saba, St. Eustatius and Dutch St. Maarten), St. Kitts, St. Kitts/Nevis (British West Indies), St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands
Extension Nassau, Bahamas
American Consulate: 1-242-322-1181
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
US Embassy: 1-868-622-6371
Buenos Aires, Argentina
American Embassy: 011-5411-5777-4300
Nations Covered: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay
Mexico City, Mexico
American Embassy: 011-52-55-5080-2000
Country Covered: Mexico
Hermosillo-Buro
American Consulate: 011-52-662-289-3500
Guadalajara Office
American Consulate: 011-52-33-3268-2100
Subdesk Juarez
American Consulate: 011-52-656-227-3000
Monterrey office
American Consulate: 011-52-81-8047-3100
Tijuana-Büro
American Consulate: 011-52-664-977-2000
Ottawa, Canada
US Embassy: 1-613-238-5335
Country Covered: Canada
toronto sub office
American Consulate: 1-416-640-8650
vancouver suboffice
American Consulate: 1-604-685-4311
Panama City, Panama
US Embassy: 011-507-317-5000
Nations Covered: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
San Salvador, El Salvador
American Embassy: 011-503-2501-2999
Nations Covered: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
Guatemala City, Guatemala Branch
American Embassy: 011-502-2326-4000
Office of Tegucigalpa, Honduras
US Embassy: 011-504-2236-9320
Santiago, Chile
American Embassy: 011-56-22-330-3000
Nations covered: Bolivia, Chile, Peru
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
US Embassy: 1-809-221-2171 or 1-809-567-7775
Nations Covered: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica
Bangkok, Thailand
American Embassy: 011-66-2-205-4000
Nations Covered: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand
Peking, China
American Embassy: 011-8610-6532-3831
Nations covered: Mongolia, People's Republic of China
Canberra, Australia
American Embassy: 011-61-2-6214-5600
Countries Covered: Australia, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (including Austral Islands, Bora Bora, Marquesas Islands, Moorea, Society Islands, Tahiti), Kiribati (including Guangzhou, Caroline, Flint, Gilbert Islands, Malden, Phoenix, Starbuck , Vosttok), Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Niue, Pitcairn Island, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands (French), Samoa
Branch in Sydney
American Consulate: 011-612-9373-9200
Wellington, New Zealand, extension
American Embassy: 011-64-4-462-6000
Bangladesh
American Embassy: 011-65-476-9100
Countries covered: Bangladesh, Nepal
HongKong, China
American Consulate: 011-852-2523-9011
Nations Covered: Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
Branch Office Taipei, Taiwan
American Institute: 011-2-2162-2000
Jakarta, Indonesia
American Embassy 011-62-21-3435-9000
Nations covered: Indonesia, Timor-Leste
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
US Embassy: 011-603-2168-5000
Nations Covered: Brunei, Diego Garcia, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore Branch
American Embassy: 011-65-6476-910
Manila, Philippines
American Embassy: 011-63-2-301-2000
Country Covered: Philippines
New Delhi, India
American Embassy: 011-91-1-98-2419-8000
Nations Covered: Bhutan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
American Embassy: 011-85-23-728-000
Nations covered: Cambodia, Vietnam
Seoul, South Korea
American Embassy: 011-82-2-397-4114
Country Covered: South Korea
Tokyo, Japan
American Embassy: 011-81-3-3224-5000
Country Covered: Japan
Ankara, Turkey
American Embassy: 011-90-312-455-5555
Country Covered: Turkey
Istanbul branch
American Consulate: 011-90-212-335-9000
Athens, Greece
American Embassy: 011-30-210-720-2490
Nations Covered: Cyprus, Greece
Belgrade, Serbia
American Embassy: 381-11-7064000
Nations Covered: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia
Bucharest, Romania
American Embassy: 011-40-21-200-3300
Nations covered: Moldova, Romania
Budapest, Hungary
US Embassy: 011-36-1-475-4400
Country covered: Hungary
Kyiv, Ukraine
US Embassy: 011-380-44-521-5000
Nations Covered: Belarus, Ukraine
Moscow, Russia
US Embassy: 011-7-495-728-5000
Country covered: Russia
Only Sultan, Kazakhstan
American Embassy: 011-7-3172-70-2100
Nations Covered: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Riga, Latvia
US Embassy: 011-371-6710-7000
Nations Covered: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Tallinn branch, Estonia
US Embassy: 011-372-668-8100
Sofia, Bulgaria
American Embassy: 011-3592-937-5100
Nations Covered: Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia
Tbilisi, Georgia
American Embassy: 011-995-32-27-7000
Nations Covered: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Warsaw, Poland
American Embassy: 011-4822-628-3041
Country covered: Poland
Berlin, Germany
American Embassy: 011-49-30-238-5174
Country covered: Germany
Frankfurt office
American Consulate: 011-49-69-7535-0
Berne, Switzerland
American Embassy: 011-41-31-357-7011
Nations covered: Liechtenstein, Switzerland
Brussels Belgium
American Embassy: 011-32-2-512-5519
Nations Covered: Belgium, Luxembourg, US Mission to NATO and EU
Copenhagen, Denmark
American Embassy: 011-45-3341-7100
Nations Covered: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
Branch office in Stockholm, Sweden
American Embassy: 011-46-8-783-5488
London, England
American Embassy: 0-11-44-207-894-0007
Nations Covered: United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey)
Madrid, Spain
American Embassy: 011-34-91-587-2200
Nations Covered: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain
Paris, France
American Embassy: 011-33-1-4312-2222
Nations Covered: France, Monaco
Lyon Service (INTERPOL)
Prague, Czech Republic
American Embassy: 011-420-2-5702-2000
Countries covered: Czech Republic and Slovakia
Rome, Italy
American Embassy: 011-39-06-4674-2710
Nations Covered: Italy, Malta, San Marino, Vatican City
The Hague, Netherlands
American Embassy: 011-31-70-310-2264
Nations Covered: Netherlands, US Mission to Europol
Vienna, Austria
American Consulate: 011-43-1-313-39-2155
Nations covered: Austria, Croatia, Slovenia
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
American Embassy: 011-971-2-414-2200
Country Covered: United Arab Emirates
Office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
011-971-4-309-4000
Amman, Jordan
US Embassy: 011-962-6-590-6000
Nations Covered: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
Beirut, Lebanon branch
American Embassy: 011-961-4-542-600
Baghdad, Iraq
US Embassy: 1-240-553-0590
Nation Covered: Iraq
Erbil, field office in Iraq
Cairo, Egypt
American Embassy: 011-202-2797-3300
Nation covered: Egypt
Doha, Qatar
American Embassy: 011-974-4496-6000
Nations Covered: Kuwait, Qatar
Kuwait City, Kuwait Extension
American Embassy: 011-965-2259-1001
Islamabad, Pakistan
American Embassy: 011-92-51-208-0000
Nation covered: Pakistan
Karachi, Pakistan extension
American Consulate: 011-92-21-3527-5000
Kabul, Afghanistan
US Embassy: 301-490-1042
Nation Covered: Afghanistan
Masks, Oman
American Embassy: 968-2464-3400
Country Covered: Oman
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
US Embassy: 011-966-1-488-3800
Nations Covered: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Tel Aviv, Israel
American Embassy: 011-972-3-519-7575
Nations Covered: Israel, Palestinian Authority
Jerusalem Branch, Israel
+972-2-622-7127