Which executive agency would most likely investigate cases of espionage?

The executive agency which investigates cases of espionage is the Central Intelligence Agency. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a non-combatant foreign intelligence service from the United States federal government, which is tasked with collecting, processing, and analyzing national security information from all over the world, especially through the usage of human intelligence (HUMINT).

EXPLANATION:  

As one of the main members of the United States Intelligence Community (IC), the CIA informs the Director of National Intelligence and primarily focuses on delivering intelligence to the President and Cabinet of the U.S.

Different from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is a domestic-scale security service, the CIA does not have a law enforcement function and mainly focuses on gathering foreign intelligence, with only limited domestic intelligence gathering. Although not the only of United States’ Federal government specializing in HUMINT, the CIA aids as a national manager to coordinate HUMINT activities throughout the U.S. intelligence community.  

Besides, the CIA is the only institution permitted by law to perform and supervise covert action on the orders of the President. It uses foreign political effect by its tactical divisions, as the Special Activities Division.

Prior to the Intelligence and Terrorism Prevention Reform Act of 2004, the Director of CIA was simultaneously the head of the Intelligence Community; nowadays, the CIA is held under the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Despite relocating some of its power to DNI, the CIA has developed in size as a consequence of the September 11 attacks. In 2013, The Washington Post stated that in fiscal 2010, the CIA had the greatest budget of all IC agencies, surpassing previous estimates.

The CIA has progressively enlarged its position, comprising covert paramilitary operations. One of its greatest divisions, the Information Operations Center (IOC), has altered its focus from counter-terrorism to violent cyber-operations. When the CIA was established, the aim was to generate a clearinghouse for foreign policy analysis and intelligence. Nowadays, the main objective is to gather, analyze, assess, and publish foreign intelligence, and to carry out covert actions.

Based on its fiscal 2013 budget, the CIA has five significances:

•Counterterrorism, as the top priority

•Nuclear Nonproliferation and other mass destruction weapons

•Informing/warning American leaders of crucial overseas events

•Counterintelligence

•Cyber intelligence

LEARN MORE:  

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend you to also take a look at the following questions:

•Definition of espionage act?

•The CIA was originally established at the end of?

KEYWORDS: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Espionage, executive agency

Subject  : Social Studies

Class  : 7-9

Sub-Chapter: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)