STATEMENT OF
CHRISTOPHER A. WRAY
DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AT A HEARING ENTITLED
“OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION”

PRESENTED
DECEMBER 7, 2017

 

  

STATEMENT OF
CHRISTOPHER A. WRAY
DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AT A HEARING ENTITLED
“OVERSIGHT OF THE FBI”
DECEMBER 7, 2017
Good morning Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Nadler, and members of the
Committee. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the FBI’s programs and priorities for the
coming year. On behalf of the men and women of the FBI, let me begin by thanking you for your
ongoing support of the Bureau. We pledge to be the best possible stewards of the authorities and
the funding you have provided for us, and to use them to maximum effect to carry out our
mission.
Today’s FBI is a global, threat-focused, intelligence-driven organization. Each FBI
employee understands that, to defeat the key threats facing our nation, we must constantly strive
to be more efficient, effective, and prescient.. Just as our adversaries continue to evolve, so must
the FBI. We live in a time of acute and persistent terrorist and criminal threats to our national
security, our economy, and our communities. These diverse threats underscore the complexity
and breadth of the FBI’s mission.
We remain focused on defending the United States against terrorism, foreign intelligence,
and cyber threats; upholding and enforcing the criminal laws of the United States; protecting
privacy, civil rights and civil liberties; and providing leadership and criminal justice services to
Federal, State, tribal, municipal, and international agencies and partners. Our continued ability to
carry out this demanding mission reflects the support and oversight provided by this Committee.
As this Committee is aware, section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
(“FISA”), is due to sunset at the end of this year. Section 702 is a critical tool that the
intelligence community uses properly to target non-U.S. persons located outside the United
States to acquire information vital to our national security. To protect privacy and civil liberties,
this program has operated under strict rules and has been carefully overseen by all three branches
of the government. Given the importance of section 702 to the safety and security of the
American people, the Administration urges Congress to permanently reauthorize title VII of
FISA.
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National Security
Counterterrorism
Preventing terrorist attacks remains the FBI’s top priority. The terrorist threat against the
United States remains persistent and acute. From a threat perspective, we are concerned with
three areas in particular: (1) those who are inspired by terrorist propaganda and act out in
support; (2) those who are enabled to act after gaining inspiration from violent extremist
propaganda and communicating with members of foreign terrorist organizations who provide
guidance on operational planning or targets; and (3) those who are directed by members of
foreign terrorist organizations to commit specific acts in support of the group’s ideology or
cause. Prospective terrorists can fall into any one of these three categories or span across them,
but in the end the result is the same—innocent men, women, and children killed and families,
friends, and whole communities left to struggle in the aftermath.
Currently, the FBI views the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (“ISIS”) and homegrown
violent extremists as the main terrorism threats to the United States. ISIS is relentless and
ruthless in its campaign of violence and has aggressively promoted its hateful message, attracting
like-minded violent extremists. The threats posed by ISIS foreign terrorist fighters, including
those recruited from the U.S., are extremely dynamic. These threats remain the highest priority
and create the most serious challenges for the FBI, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and our
foreign, State, and local partners. We continue to identify individuals who seek to join the ranks
of foreign fighters traveling in support of ISIS, as well as homegrown violent extremists who
may aspire to attack the United States from within. In addition, we are working to expose, refute
and combat terrorist propaganda and training available via the Internet and social media
networks. Due to online recruitment and indoctrination, foreign terrorist organizations are no
longer solely dependent on finding ways to get terrorist operatives into the United States to
recruit and carry out acts. Terrorists in ungoverned spaces—both physical and cyber—readily
disseminate propaganda and training materials to attract easily influenced individuals around the
world to their cause. They encourage these individuals to travel, or they motivate them to act at
home. This is a significant transformation from the terrorist threat our nation faced a decade ago.
ISIS was able to construct a narrative that touched on many facets of life, from career
opportunities to family life to a sense of community. Those messages were not tailored solely for
those who are expressing signs of radicalization to violence— many who click through the
Internet every day, receive social media push notifications, and participate in social networks
have viewed ISIS propaganda. Ultimately, a lot of the individuals drawn to ISIS seek a sense of
belonging. Echoing other terrorist groups, ISIS has advocated for lone offender attacks in
Western countries. ISIS videos and propaganda have specifically advocated for attacks against
soldiers, law enforcement, and intelligence community personnel, but have branched out to
include any civilian as a worthy target.

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The Internet is only one tool of many that terrorists use to recruit. However, many
foreign terrorist organizations use various digital communication platforms to reach individuals
they believe may be susceptible and sympathetic to violent extremist messages; however, no
group has been as successful at drawing people into its perverse ideology as ISIS. ISIS has
proven dangerously competent at employing such tools for its nefarious strategy. ISIS uses highquality, traditional media platforms, as well as widespread social media campaigns to propagate
its violent extremist ideology. Social media is hijacked by groups such as ISIS to spot and assess
potential recruits. With the widespread use of social media, terrorists can spot, assess, recruit,
and radicalize vulnerable persons of all ages in the United States either to travel or to conduct a
homeland attack. Through the Internet, terrorists overseas now have access into our local
communities to target and recruit our citizens and spread the message of radicalization to
violence faster than we imagined just a few years ago.
ISIS is not the only terrorist group of concern. Al-Qa’ida maintains its desire for largescale attacks, however continued counter-terrorist (CT) pressure has degraded the group, and in
the near term, al Qa'ida is more likely to focus on supporting small-scale, readily achievable
attacks against U.S. and allied interests in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. Simultaneously
however, and especially over the last year, propaganda from al-Qa’ida leaders seeks to inspire
individuals to conduct their own attacks in the United States and the West.
In addition to foreign terrorist organizations, domestic violent extremist movements
collectively pose a steady threat of violence and economic harm to the United States. Some
trends within individual movements will shift as most drivers for domestic violent extremism,
such as perceptions of government or law enforcement overreach, socio-political conditions, and
reactions to legislative actions, remain constant. We are most concerned about one lone offender
attacks, primarily shootings, as they have served as the dominant mode for lethal domestic
extremist violence. We anticipate that law enforcement, racial minorities, and the U.S.
government will continue to be significant targets for many domestic violent extremist
movements.
As the threat to harm the United States and U.S. interests evolves, we must adapt and
confront these challenges, relying heavily on the strength of our Federal, State, local, and
international partnerships. The FBI uses all lawful investigative techniques and methods to
combat these terrorist threats to the United States. Along with our domestic and foreign partners,
we are collecting and analyzing intelligence concerning the ongoing threat posed by foreign
terrorist organizations and homegrown violent extremists. We continue to encourage information
sharing, which is evidenced through our partnerships with many Federal, State, local, and tribal
agencies assigned to Joint Terrorism Task Forces around the country. Be assured, the FBI
continues to strive to work and share information more efficiently, and to pursue a variety of
lawful methods to help stay ahead of these threats.

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Going Dark
The rapid pace of advances in mobile and other communication technologies continues to
present a significant challenge to conducting lawful court-ordered access to digital information
or evidence, whether that information is being electronically transmitted over networks or is at
rest on a device or other form of electronic storage. Unfortunately, there is a real and growing
gap between law enforcement’s legal authority to access digital information and its technical
ability to do so. The FBI refers to this growing challenge as “Going Dark,” and it affects the
spectrum of our work.
The benefits of our increasingly digital lives have been accompanied by new dangers, and
we have seen how criminals and terrorists use advances in technology to their advantage. In the
counterterrorism context, for instance, our agents and analysts are increasingly finding that
communications and contacts between groups like ISIS and potential recruits occur in encrypted
private messaging platforms. The exploitation of encrypted platforms also presents serious
challenges to law enforcement’s ability to identify, investigate, and disrupt threats that range
from counterterrorism to child exploitation, gangs, drug traffickers and white-collar crimes. In
addition, we are seeing more and more cases where we believe significant evidence resides on a
phone, a tablet, or a laptop—evidence that may be the difference between an offender being
convicted or acquitted. If we cannot access this evidence, it will have ongoing, significant effects
on our ability to identify, stop, and prosecute these offenders. In fiscal year 2017, the FBI was
unable to access the content of approximately 7800 mobile devices using appropriate and
available technical tools, even though there was legal authority to do so. This figure represents
slightly over half of all the mobile devices the FBI attempted to access in that timeframe.
Where, at all possible, our agents develop investigative workarounds on a case-by-case
basis, including by using physical world techniques and examining non-content sources of digital
information (such as metadata). As an organization, the FBI also invests in alternative methods
of lawful engineered access. Ultimately, these efforts, while significant, have severe constraints.
Non-content information, such as metadata, is often simply not sufficient to meet the rigorous
constitutional burden to prove crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. Developing alternative
technical methods is typically a time-consuming, expensive, and uncertain process. Even when
possible, such methods are difficult to scale across investigations, and may be perishable due to a
short technical lifecycle or as a consequence of disclosure through legal proceedings.
We respect the right of people to engage in private communications, regardless of the
medium or technology. The more we as a society rely on electronic devices to communicate and
store information, the more likely it is that information that was once found in filing cabinets,
letters, and photo albums will now be stored only in electronic form. Whether it is instant
messages, texts, or old-fashioned letters, citizens have the right to communicate with one another
in private, because the free flow of information is vital to a thriving democracy. Our aim is not to
expand the government’s legal authority, but rather to ensure that we can obtain electronic
information and evidence pursuant to the statutory authority that Congress has provided to us to
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keep America safe. The benefits of our increasingly digital lives, however, have been
accompanied by new dangers, and we have seen how criminals and terrorists use advances in
technology to their advantage. When changes in technology hinder law enforcement’s ability to
exercise investigative tools and follow critical leads, those changes also hinder efforts to identify
and stop criminals or terrorists.
Some observers have conceived of this challenge as a trade-off between privacy and
security. In our view, the demanding requirements to obtain legal authority to access data—such
as by applying to a court for a warrant or a wiretap—necessarily already account for both privacy
and security. The FBI is actively engaged with relevant stakeholders, including companies
providing technological services, to educate them on the corrosive effects of the Going Dark
challenge on both public safety and the rule of law, and with the academic community and
technologists to work on technical solutions to this problem.
Counterintelligence
The nation faces a rising threat, both traditional and asymmetric, from hostile foreign
intelligence services and their proxies. Foreign intelligence services not only seek our nation’s
State and military secrets, but they also target commercial trade secrets, research and
development, and intellectual property, as well as insider information from the Federal
government, U.S. corporations, and American universities. They do so through traditional
espionage, often characterized by career foreign intelligence officers acting as diplomats or
ordinary citizens, and asymmetric espionage, often carried out by students, researchers, or
businesspeople operating front companies. Foreign intelligence services and other State-directed
actors continue to employ increasingly creative and sophisticated methods to steal innovative
technology, critical research and development data, and intellectual property, in an effort to
erode America’s economic leading edge. These illicit activities pose a significant threat to
national security and continue to be a priority and focus of the FBI.
Our counterintelligence efforts are also aimed at the growing scope of the insider threat—
that is, when trusted employees and contractors use their legitimate access to steal secrets for
personal benefit or to benefit a company or another country. This threat has been exacerbated in
recent years as businesses have become more global and increasingly exposed to foreign
intelligence organizations. We are also investigating media leaks, when an insider violates the
law and betrays the Nation’s trust by leaking classified information, sometimes mixed with
disinformation, to manipulate the public and advance a personal agenda.
In addition to the insider threat, the FBI has focused on a coordinated approach across
divisions that leverages both our classic counterespionage tradecraft and our technical expertise
to more effectively identify, pursue, and defeat hostile State actors using cyber means to
penetrate or disrupt U.S. government entities or economic interests.

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Finally, we have initiated a media campaign to increase awareness of the threat of
economic espionage. As part of this initiative, we have made a threat awareness video, titled
“The Company Man,” available on our public website, which has been shown thousands of times
to raise awareness and generate referrals from the private sector.
Intelligence
Integrating intelligence in all we do remains a critical strategic pillar of the FBI strategy.
The constant evolution of the FBI’s intelligence program will help us address the ever-changing
threat environment. We are constantly updating our intelligence apparatus to improve our ability
to use, collect, and share intelligence, which will increase our understanding and allow us to
defeat our adversaries. We cannot be content to work only the matters directly in front of us;
intelligence allows us look beyond the horizon to identify the emerging threats we will face at
home and abroad, and determine how those threats may be connected.
To that end, we gather intelligence, consistent with our legal authorities, to help us better
understand and prioritize identified threats, to reveal the gaps in what we know about these
threats, and to fill those gaps with new information. We do this for national security and criminal
threats, on both a national and local field office level. We then compare the national and local
perspectives to organize threats into priorities for each of the FBI’s 56 field offices. Categorizing
threats in this way allows us to place the greatest focus on the gravest threats we face. This gives
us a better assessment of what the dangers are, what’s being done about them, and where we
should prioritize our resources.
Integrating intelligence and operations is a part of the broader intelligence transformation
the FBI has undertaken in the last decade to improve our assessment and mitigation of threats.
Over the past few years, we have taken several steps to realize this integration. First, we
established an Intelligence Branch within the FBI, headed by an Executive Assistant Director
who is responsible for integration across the enterprise. We also developed and implemented a
series of integration-focused forums that ensure all members of our workforce understand and
internalize the importance of intelligence integration. We now train our Special Agents and
Intelligence Analysts together at the FBI Academy where they engage in joint training exercises
and take core courses together. As a result, they are better prepared to integrate their skillsets in
their assignments. Additionally, our training forums for executives and front-line supervisors
continue to ensure our leaders are informed about our latest intelligence capabilities and allow
them to share best practices.
Cyber
Virtually every national security and criminal threat the FBI faces is either cyber-based or
technologically facilitated. We face sophisticated cyber threats from foreign intelligence
agencies, hackers for hire, organized crime syndicates, and terrorists. These threat actors
constantly seek to access and steal our nation’s classified information, trade secrets, technology,
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and ideas—all of which are of great importance to our national and economic security. They also
seek to strike our critical infrastructure and to harm our economy.
As the Committee is well aware, the frequency and effects of cyber-attacks on our
nation’s private sector and government networks have increased dramatically in the past decade
and are expected to continue to grow. We continue to see an increase in the scale and scope of
reporting on malicious cyber activity that can be measured by the amount of corporate data
stolen or deleted, personally identifiable information compromised, or remediation costs incurred
by U.S. victims. Within the FBI, we are focused on the most dangerous malicious cyber activity:
high-level intrusions by State-sponsored hackers and global organized crime syndicates, as well
as other technically sophisticated attacks.
Botnets used by cyber criminals are one example of this trend and have been responsible
for billions of dollars in damages over the past several years. The widespread availability of
malicious software (malware) that can create botnets allows individuals to leverage the combined
bandwidth of thousands, if not millions, of compromised computers, servers, or network-ready
devices to conduct attacks. Cyber threat actors have also increasingly conducted ransomware
attacks against U.S. systems, encrypting data and rendering systems unusable—victimizing
individuals, businesses, and even public health providers.
Cyber criminals often operate through online forums, selling illicit goods and services,
including tools that can be used to facilitate cyber attacks. These criminals have also increased
the sophistication of their schemes, which are more difficult to detect and more resilient. Cyber
threats are also becoming increasingly difficult to investigate. For instance, many cyber actors
are based abroad or obfuscate their identities by using foreign infrastructure, making
coordination with international law enforcement partners essential.
The FBI is engaged in myriad efforts to combat cyber threats, from improving threat
identification and information sharing inside and outside of government to developing and
retaining new talent, to examining the way we operate to disrupt and defeat these threats. We
take all potential threats to public and private sector systems seriously and will continue to
investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace.
Criminal
Public Corruption
Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top criminal priorities. The threat—which involves
the corruption of local, State, and Federally elected, appointed, or contracted officials—strikes at
the heart of government, eroding public confidence and undermining the strength of our
democracy. It affects how well U.S. borders are secured and neighborhoods are protected, how
verdicts are handed down in court, and how well public infrastructure such as schools and roads
are built. The FBI is uniquely situated to address this threat, with our ability to conduct
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undercover operations, perform electronic surveillance, and run complex cases. However,
partnerships are critical and we work closely with Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities in
pursuing these cases.
One key focus is border corruption. The Federal government protects 7,000 miles of U.S.
land border and 95,000 miles of shoreline. Every day, more than a million visitors enter the
country through one of the 328 official Ports of Entry along the Mexican and Canadian borders,
as well as through seaports and international airports. Any corruption at the border enables a
wide range of illegal activities along these borders, potentially placing the entire nation at risk by
letting drugs, guns, money, and weapons of mass destruction slip into the country, along with
criminals, terrorists, and spies. FBI-led Border Corruption Task Forces are the cornerstone of our
efforts to root out this kind of corruption. Located in nearly two dozen cities along our borders,
these task forces consist of representatives from: the FBI; the Department of Homeland Security
Office of Inspector General; Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional
Responsibility; Transportation Security Administration; Drug Enforcement Administration;
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement-Office of Professional Responsibility; and State and local law enforcement.
Civil Rights
The FBI remains dedicated to protecting the cherished freedoms of all Americans. This
includes aggressively investigating and working to prevent hate crime, “color of law” abuses by
public officials, human trafficking, and violations of freedom of access to clinic entrances and
houses of worship—the four priorities of our civil rights program. We also support the work and
cases of our local and State partners, as needed.
The investigation of hate crimes is the number one priority within the FBI’s civil rights
program due to the devastating effect these types of crimes can have not just on the victims and
their families, but also on entire communities. A hate crime is a criminal offense against a person
or property motivated in whole or in part by the individual’s bias against a race, religion,
disability, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity. While the First
Amendment to the Constitution allows for the free expression of both offensive and hateful
speech, this protection does not extend to criminal acts, even those done to express an idea or
belief. The First Amendment also does not protect someone who issues a true threat to inflict
physical harm on individuals or groups, or who intentionally solicits others to commit unlawful
acts of violence on his or her behalf. The FBI investigated over 100 hate crime cases last year
and remains dedicated to investigating these types of crimes. Additionally, the FBI proactively
works to detect and deter future incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and
partnerships with community groups.
Furthermore, we are focused on working with our State and local partners to collectively
do a better job of tracking and reporting hate crime and “color of law” violations to fully
understand what is happening in our communities and how to stop it. Our ability to address
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significant national issues, such as the use of force and officer-involved shootings and
jurisdictional increases in violent crime, depends on fuller statistical understanding of the
underlying facts and circumstances. Some jurisdictions fail to report hate crime statistics, while
others claim there are no hate crimes in their community—a fact that would be welcome, if true.
We are dedicated to working vigorously with our State and local counterparts in every
jurisdiction to better track and report hate crimes, in an accurate, timely, and publicly transparent
manner.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery and a crime that the FBI is actively addressing.
The majority of human trafficking victims recovered during FBI investigations are United States
citizens, but traffickers are opportunists who will exploit any victim with a vulnerability. Victims
of human trafficking are subjected to forced labor or sex trafficking, and the FBI diligently
investigates both forms of human trafficking.
The FBI takes a victim-centered, trauma-sensitive approach to investigating these cases
and strives to ensure the needs of the victims are fully addressed at all stages. To accomplish
this, the FBI works in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and victim specialists on
the local, State, Tribal, and Federal levels, as well as a variety of vetted non-governmental
organizations. Even after the arrest and conviction of human traffickers, the FBI often continues
to work with these partner agencies and organizations to assist victims in moving beyond their
exploitation.
The FBI addresses the human trafficking threat largely by working collaboratively with
Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement partners in working group and task force
environments. The FBI funds 17 task forces dedicated to inter-agency cooperation to combat sex
trafficking and labor trafficking. The task forces work cohesively to investigate cases, share
valuable intelligence, and coordinate effective responses and prosecutions. The FBI also
participates in DOJ-funded multi-disciplinary task forces. The FBI developed a Labor
Trafficking Initiative to strengthen field office efforts to proactively identify forced labor targets.
Health Care Fraud
We have witnessed an increase in health care fraud in recent years, including
Medicare/Medicaid fraud, pharmaceutical fraud, and illegal medical billing practices. Health
care spending currently makes up about 18 percent of our nation’s total economy. This large sum
presents an attractive target for criminals. Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. Every
person who pays for health care benefits, every business that pays higher insurance costs to cover
their employees, and every taxpayer who funds Medicare is a victim. Schemes can also cause
actual patient harm, including subjecting patients to unnecessary treatment or providing
substandard services and supplies. As health care spending continues to rise, the FBI will use

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every tool we have to ensure our health care dollars are used appropriately and not to line the
pockets of criminals.
The FBI currently has 2,799 pending health care fraud investigations. Over 70 percent of
these investigations involve government-sponsored health care programs, including Medicare,
Medicaid, and TriCare, as well as other U.S. government-funded programs. As part of our
collaboration efforts, the FBI maintains investigative and intelligence sharing partnerships with
government agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and other Department of
Justice components, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug
Administration, State Medicaid Fraud Control Units, and other State, local, and tribal agencies.
On the private side, the FBI conducts significant information sharing and coordination efforts
with private insurance partners, such as the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, the
National Insurance Crime Bureau, and private insurance investigative units. The FBI is also
actively involved in the Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership, an effort to exchange facts and
information between the public and private sectors in order to reduce the prevalence of health
care fraud.
Violent Crime
Violent crimes and gang activities exact a high toll on individuals and communities.
Today’s gangs are sophisticated and well organized; many use violence to control neighborhoods
and boost their illegal money-making activities, which include robbery, drug and gun trafficking,
fraud, extortion, and prostitution rings. Gangs do not limit their illegal activities to single
jurisdictions or communities. The FBI uses its institutional abilities to leverage crossprogrammatic expertise to target gangs and violent crime, which is vital to the fight against
violent crime in big cities and small towns across the nation. Every day, FBI special agents work
in partnership with State, local, and tribal officers and deputies on joint task forces and
individual investigations.
FBI joint task forces—Violent Crime Safe Streets, Violent Gang Safe Streets, and Safe
Trails Task Forces—focus on identifying and targeting major groups operating as criminal
enterprises. Much of the FBI’s criminal intelligence is derived from our State, local, and tribal
law enforcement partners, who know their communities inside and out. Joint task forces benefit
from FBI surveillance assets and our sources track these gangs to identify emerging trends.
Through these multi-subject and multi-jurisdictional investigations, the FBI concentrates its
efforts on high-level groups engaged in patterns of racketeering. This investigative model
enables us to target senior gang leadership and to develop enterprise-based prosecutions.
By way of example, the FBI has dedicated tremendous resources to combat the threat of
violence posed by MS-13. The atypical nature of this gang has required a multi-pronged
approach—we work through our task forces here in the U.S. while simultaneously gathering
intelligence and aiding our international law enforcement partners. We do this through the FBI’s
Transnational Anti-Gang Task Forces (“TAGs”). Established in El Salvador in 2007 through the
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FBI’s National Gang Task Force, Legal Attaché (“Legat”) San Salvador, and the United States
Department of State, each TAG is a fully operational unit responsible for the investigation of
MS-13 operating in the northern triangle of Central America and threatening the United States.
This program combines the expertise, resources, and jurisdiction of participating agencies
involved in investigating and countering transnational criminal gang activity in the United States
and Central America. There are now TAGs in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Through
these combined efforts, the FBI has achieved substantial success in countering the MS-13 threat
across the United States and Central America.
Despite these efforts, we still have work to do. The latest Uniform Crime Reporting
statistics gathered from the Crime in the United States, 2016, show the number of violent crimes
in the nation increased by 4.1 percent compared with the 2015 estimate, and this year we are also
seeing an uptick of homicides in some cities. Compared with 2015, the number of estimated
homicides in the nation rose 8.6 percent in 2016.
Transnational Organized Crime
More than a decade ago, the image of organized crime was of hierarchical organizations,
or families, that exerted influence over criminal activities in neighborhoods, cities, or States, but
organized crime has changed dramatically. Today, international criminal enterprises run multinational, multi-billion dollar schemes from start to finish. These criminal enterprises are flat,
fluid networks with global reach. While still engaged in many of the “traditional” organized
crime activities of loan-sharking, extortion, and murder, new criminal enterprises are targeting
stock market fraud and manipulation, cyber-facilitated bank fraud and embezzlement, identity
theft, human trafficking, and other illegal activities. Preventing and combating transnational
organized crime demands a concentrated effort by the FBI and Federal, State, local, tribal, and
international partners. The FBI continues to share intelligence about criminal groups with our
partners and to combine resources and expertise to gain a full understanding of each group.
Opioids
Large amounts of high quality, low cost heroin and illicit fentanyl are contributing to
record numbers of overdose deaths and life-threatening addictions nationwide. Transnational
Criminal Organizations (“TCOs”) are also introducing synthetic opioids to the US market,
including fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. To address this evolving threat, we are taking a multifaceted approach and establishing many initiatives and units across our criminal program.
One response to this threat is our Prescription Drug Initiative (“PDI”). The PDI was
established in 2016 in response to the substantial and increasing threat associated with
prescription drug diversion, and in particular, the staggering national increase in opioid related
deaths. The objective of the PDI is to identify and target criminal enterprises and other groups
engaged in prescription drug schemes; identify and prosecute, where appropriate, organizations
with improper corporate policies related to prescription drugs; and identify and prosecute, where
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appropriate, organizations with improper prescribing and dispensing practices. The PDI
prioritizes investigations which target “gatekeeper” positions, to include medical professionals
and pharmacies that divert opioids outside the scope of their medical practice and/or distribute
these medications with no legitimate medical purpose. Since its inception, the PDI has resulted in
the conviction of numerous medical professionals and secured significant Federal prison
sentences to include life terms for physicians who cause harm or death to the patients entrusted
to their care. In August of 2017, PDI resources were enlisted to support the Attorney General’s
Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit in 12 judicial districts significantly affected by the
opioid crisis.
The Hi-Tech Organized Crime Unit (“HTOCU”) is another response to the growing
opioid epidemic. This unit focuses on the trafficking of opioids via the Internet, specifically the
Darknet. HTOCU is leading a proactive effort to increase awareness, train personnel, and
provide guidance to FBI field offices on how to successfully address this threat. As a result,
numerous investigations and operations have been initiated and several online vendors who are
facilitating the trafficking of opioids via the Internet, to include Fentanyl, have been disrupted.
Beyond these two programs, the FBI has dedicated additional resources to address this
expansive threat. We have more than doubled our number of Transnational Organized Crime
Task Forces, expanded the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”)
Airport Initiative to focus on insider threats partnering with TCO actors, and created and led the
Fentanyl Safety Working Group at FBI Headquarters, which has led to a new program to protect
field agents and support employees with personal protective equipment (“PPE”) and opioid
antagonists (i.e. naloxone) from the threat of fentanyl exposure. The FBI participated, along with
other Federal partners, in the creation of the Heroin Availability Reduction Plan (“HARP”),
takes part in monthly HARP meetings hosted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy
(“ONDCP”), and continues to provide training to our international law enforcement partners on
successful identification, seizure, and neutralization of clandestine heroin/fentanyl laboratories.
Crimes Against Children
The FBI remains vigilant in its efforts to eradicate predators from our communities and to
keep our children safe. Ready response teams are stationed across the country to quickly respond
to abductions. Investigators bring to this issue the full array of forensic tools such as DNA
analysis, trace evidence, impression evidence, and digital forensics. Through improved
communications, law enforcement also has the ability to quickly share information with partners
throughout the world, and these outreach programs play an integral role in prevention.
The FBI also has several programs in place to educate both parents and children about the
dangers posed by predators and to recover missing and endangered children. To this end, the FBI
funds or participates in a variety of endeavors, including our Child Abduction Rapid Deployment
Teams, Innocence Lost National Initiative, Innocent Images National Initiative, annual Operation
Cross Country, Victim Services Division, 78 Child Exploitation Task Forces, 63 International
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Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force Members, and numerous community outreach
programs.
Operation Cross Country, a nationwide law enforcement action focusing on underage
victims of sex trafficking, completed its eleventh iteration during the second week of October
and recovered 84 minors. Over 400 agencies across 55 FBI Field Offices were instrumental in
recovering child victims of all backgrounds and arresting sex traffickers, including sex
customers. More than 100 victim specialists, in coordination with local law enforcement victim
advocates and non-governmental organizations, provided services to child and adult victims.
Indian Country
There are 567 federally recognized Indian tribes in the United States, with the FBI and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs having concurrent jurisdiction for felony-level crimes on over 200
reservations. According to the 2010 Census, there are nearly five million people living on over
56 million acres of Indian reservations and other tribal lands. Criminal jurisdiction in these areas
of our country is a complex maze of tribal, State, Federal, or concurrent jurisdiction.
The FBI’s Indian Country program currently has 135 special agents in 34 FBI field
offices primarily assigned to Indian Country crime matters. The number of agents, the vast
territory, and the high frequency of violent crime handled by these agents makes their
responsibility extremely challenging. The FBI has 16 Safe Trails Task Forces that investigate
violent crime, drug offenses, and gangs in Indian Country, and we continue to address the
emerging threat from fraud and other white-collar crimes committed against tribal gaming
facilities.
Sexual assault and child sexual assault are two of the FBI’s investigative priorities in
Indian Country. Statistics indicate that American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer violent crime
at greater rates than other Americans. Approximately 75 percent of all FBI Indian Country
matters involve death investigations, physical and/or sexual assault of a child, or aggravated
assaults. At any given time, approximately 30 percent of the FBI’s Indian Country investigations
are based on allegations of sexual abuse of a child.
The FBI continues to work with tribes through the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 to
help tribal governments better address unique public safety challenges and disproportionately
high rates of violence and victimization in many tribal communities. The act encourages the
hiring of additional law enforcement officers for Native American lands, enhances tribal
authority to prosecute and punish criminals, and provides the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal
police officers with greater access to law enforcement databases.

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FBI Laboratory
The FBI Laboratory is one of the largest and most comprehensive forensic laboratories in
the world. Operating out of a state-of-the-art facility in Quantico, Virginia, laboratory personnel
travel the world on assignment, using science and technology to protect the nation and support
law enforcement, intelligence, military, and forensic science partners. The Lab’s many services
include providing expert testimony, mapping crime scenes, and conducting forensic exams of
physical and hazardous evidence. Lab personnel possess expertise in many areas of forensics
supporting law enforcement and intelligence purposes, including explosives, trace evidence,
documents, chemistry, cryptography, DNA, facial reconstruction, fingerprints, firearms, and
WMD.
One example of the Lab’s key services and programs is the Combined DNA Index
System (“CODIS”), software the FBI develops and administers, which allows 200 law
enforcement laboratories throughout the United States to compare over 16 million DNA profiles.
In the last twenty years, CODIS has aided nearly 400,000 investigations, while maintaining its
sterling reputation and the confidence of the American public.
The Terrorist Explosives Device Analytical Center (“TEDAC”) is another example.
Formally established in 2004, TEDAC serves as the single interagency organization that
receives, fully analyzes, and exploits all priority terrorist improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”).
TEDAC coordinates the efforts of the entire government, including law enforcement,
intelligence, and military entities, to gather and share intelligence about IEDs. These efforts help
disarm and disrupt IEDs, link them to their makers, and prevent future attacks. For example,
Laboratory Division personnel recently testified in New York in the successful prosecution of
Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh after linking him to a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device
prepared for an attack on the US military base in Afghanistan. Although originally focused on
devices from Iraq and Afghanistan, TEDAC now receives and analyzes devices from all over the
world.
The National Institute of Justice (“NIJ”) and the FBI have continued their partnership
aimed at addressing a critical and complex issue in our nation’s criminal justice system: untested
sexual assault kits (“SAKs”). The FBI Laboratory has been a leader in developing best practices
for DNA testing. By serving as a single laboratory for SAKs submitted by law enforcement
agencies and public forensic laboratories nationwide, the FBI was able to offer proven methods
for improving the collection and processing of quality DNA evidence. This information was
published this summer in NIJ’s document “National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A
Multidisciplinary Approach.”
Additionally, the Laboratory Division maintains a capability to provide forensic support
for significant shooting investigations. The Laboratory Shooting Reconstruction Team provides
support to FBI field offices by bringing together expertise from various Laboratory components
to provide enhanced technical support to document complex shooting crime scenes. Services are
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scene and situation dependent and may include mapping of the shooting scene in two or three
dimensions, scene documentation through photography, including aerial and oblique imagery,
360 degree photography and videography, trajectory reconstruction, and the analysis of gunshot
residue and shot patterns. Significant investigations supported by this team include the shootings
at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California; the Pulse Night Club in Orlando,
Florida; the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada; and the shooting of 12
police officers during a protest against police shootings in Dallas, Texas.
Conclusion
The strength of any organization is its people. The threats we face as a nation are as great
and diverse as they have ever been, and the expectations placed on the Bureau have never been
higher. Our fellow citizens look to us to protect the United States and the men and women of the
Bureau work hard to meet and exceed those expectations, every day. I want to thank them for
their dedication and their service.
Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Nadler, and members of the Committee, thank
you again for this opportunity to discuss the FBI’s programs and priorities. Mr. Chairman, we are
grateful for the support that you and this Committee have provided to the FBI. We would not be
in the position we are today without it. Your support of our workforce, our technology, and our
infrastructure make a difference every day at FBI offices in the United States and around the
world, and we thank you for that support. I look forward to answering any questions you may
have.

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