Overview

The National Security Branch (NSB) is led by an executive assistant director and an associate executive assistant director. The NSB consists of the following entities: Counterintelligence Division (made up of one intelligence branch, two operations branches, and a counterproliferation center); the Counterterrorism Division (made up of three operations branches); the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (made up of an operations unit and a research unit); the Terrorist Screening Center (made up of an engagement and analysis branch, an operations branch, and the principal deputy director’s office); and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (made up of a countermeasures operations section, an intelligence analysis section, and an investigations and operations section).

The National Security Branch (NSB) was established in September 2005 in response to a presidential directive to establish a “National Security Service” that combines the missions, capabilities, and resources of the FBI’s counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and intelligence elements under the leadership of a senior FBI official. The NSB is composed of the Counterintelligence Division, Counterterrorism Division, High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, Terrorist Screening Center, and WMD Directorate.

The National Security Branch carries out the FBI’s responsibilities as the lead intelligence and law enforcement agency in the nation to detect, deter, and disrupt national security threats to the United States and its interests. Our goal is to collect, analyze, and share intelligence to develop a comprehensive understanding of—and to defeat—national security threats directed against the United States while preserving civil liberties.

We continue to refine our intelligence capabilities to position ourselves to stay ahead of the evolving threats our nation faces. Intelligence directs how we understand threats, how we prioritize and investigate these threats, and how we target our resources to address them