--- title: "U.S. Legat – Legal Attaché Worldwide – The FBI’s Overseas Offices – 2025" canonical: https://romancescamsnow.com/u-s-legat-legal-attache-worldwide-the-fbis-overseas-offices-2025/ type: post author: "SCARS Institute Editorial Team" published: 2024-12-23 modified: 2024-12-23 categories: ["♦ LAW ENFORCEMENT - JUSTICE - INVESTIGATION", "2024", "Governmental Entities & Agencies", "Guides", "Law Enforcement Agencies", "Law Enforcement Support", "Resources"] summary: "" organization: "SCARS Institute - Encyclopedia of Scans - World's #1 Anti-Scam Website - Romance Scams NOW" organization_url: https://romancescamsnow.com/ llms: https://romancescamsnow.com/llms.txt --- # U.S. Legat – Legal Attaché Worldwide – The FBI’s Overseas Offices – 2025 # U.S. Legat - Legal Attaché Worldwide - The FBI's Overseas Offices - 2025 ## U.S. Legat - Legal Attaché Officers Worldwide - The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Overseas Offices ### Reporting Scams Fraud & Cybercrimes - A SCARS Institute Guide ##### Authors: • SCARS Institute Encyclopedia of Scams Editorial Team - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. • Portions from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation ##### This information is subject to change without notice ## Article Abstract The FBI's **Legal Attaché (Legat) program** places special agents and personnel in U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to foster cooperation with foreign law enforcement and security agencies. Operating in over **180 countries**, Legats build crucial international partnerships to combat terrorism, cybercrime, organized crime, and other transnational threats. These offices, overseen by the **International Operations Division** in Washington, D.C., serve as the FBI’s global arm, facilitating information sharing, coordinating investigations, and providing training to promote the rule of law abroad. While Legats do not have law enforcement authority overseas, they work through host countries, emphasizing collaboration and mutual assistance. By positioning agents globally, the FBI can rapidly respond to crises, deter threats before they reach the U.S., and strengthen international security networks, contributing to global safety and national defense. ## U.S. Legat - Legal Attaché Officers Worldwide - The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Overseas Offices - 2025 FBI International Offices - Crime and terror have a global reach. For more than eight decades, the FBI has stationed special agents and other personnel overseas. We help protect Americans back home by building relationships with principal law enforcement, intelligence, and security services around the globe. Now, at a time when virtually all major FBI investigations have a significant international nexus, these partnerships have never been more crucial. Our legal attaché offices—commonly known as Legats—and sub-offices are located in key cities around the globe and provide coverage for more than 180 countries, territories, and islands. About 250 special agents and support personnel are stationed in FBI legats worldwide. ## What is a Legat A **Legat** (short for *Legal Attaché*) is an **FBI representative assigned to a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad**. Legats serve as the primary **liaison between the FBI and foreign law enforcement, intelligence, and security agencies**. Their role is to facilitate international cooperation on criminal investigations, counterterrorism, cybercrime, and other transnational threats. ### Key Responsibilities of a Legat: - - **Coordination of Investigations:** Assisting in joint operations, sharing intelligence, and coordinating with foreign counterparts on FBI cases that extend beyond U.S. borders. - **Extradition and Legal Processes:** Facilitating extradition requests, gathering evidence from foreign jurisdictions, and ensuring U.S. legal interests are represented abroad. - **Information Sharing:** Exchanging intelligence and criminal data to combat terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking, and cybercrime. - **Crisis Response:** Supporting U.S. citizens affected by terrorism or major crimes overseas and contributing to international crisis management. Legats operate in **over 60 countries** and often cover multiple nations within a region. They report directly to the FBI's **International Operations Division** in Washington, D.C. ### Example: If a cybercriminal based in Europe hacks a U.S. company, the Legat in the relevant embassy would work with local authorities to track down the perpetrator and assist in gathering evidence for prosecution. ## FBI International Operations Our legal attaché program is managed by the International Operations Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Through the legal attaché program and other efforts, the International Operations Division serves as a bridge to our overseas partners and a conduit for strengthening the global rule of law. It regularly works through elements of the international law enforcement community such as Interpol and Europol and numerous working groups, task forces, and training initiatives. The office coordinates meetings with international leaders and keeps in close contact with other federal agencies, foreign police, and security officers in Washington, D.C., and national and international law enforcement associations. ## Authorities and Jurisdiction A number of U.S. federal laws give the FBI authority to investigate extraterritorial criminal and terrorist activity. The FBI, however, conducts investigations abroad only when invited by the host country. In most cases, our international partners gather evidence and make arrests on behalf of, or in close cooperation with the Bureau. Each legat is established through mutual agreement with the host country and is located in that nation’s U.S. embassy or consulate. FBI personnel abroad serve under the authority of the Department of State, chief of mission at U.S. embassies, at the pleasure of ambassadors and host country governments. International liaison and information sharing are conducted in accordance with executive orders, laws, treaties, attorney general guidelines, FBI policies, and interagency agreements. ## The Role of the Legal Attaché Agent The FBI agent who heads an international office is also called a legal attaché or legat. They serve as the FBI Director’s personal representative in the country where they have regional responsibilities. Legal attachés are experienced, highly trained investigators who work directly and openly with their international colleagues. They do not conduct foreign intelligence gathering or counterintelligence investigations. Most legal attachés are supported by a deputy or assistant legal attaché and other staff. ### Typical duties of a legal attaché include: - coordinating requests for FBI or host country assistance overseas - conducting investigations in coordination with the host government - sharing investigative leads and information - coordinating FBI training classes for police in their geographic areas - briefing embassy counterparts from other agencies, including law enforcement agencies and ambassadors - managing country clearances - providing situation reports concerning cultural protocol - assessing political and security climates - coordinating victim and humanitarian assistance ## How Legal Attaché Offices Help to Protect the United States **Relationship Building:** Since FBI agents do not have traditional law enforcement powers overseas, they must rely on strong, mutually beneficial relationships with their foreign counterparts. Legal attachés maintain regular, often face-to-face contact with foreign officials and security agencies that enables the prompt and continuous exchange of information and reciprocal assistance in investigations. Legal attachés also provide critical and timely support in the defense of our homeland through direct coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department of State, Interpol, and other law enforcement and security entities. **Physical Proximity:** Legal attachés are positioned to enable agents to reach virtually anywhere in the world in a few hours, allowing the FBI to respond more quickly and effectively to terrorist attacks, cyber crime, fugitive sightings, crisis situations, natural disasters, and other global security matters. **Training/Rule of Law:** Through international training facilitated by legal attachés, the FBI provides foreign law enforcement officers with skills in both basic and advanced investigative techniques and principles that promote cooperation and aid in the collection of evidence. These efforts help create more capable and democratic police institutions around the world, strengthening the global rule of law. Funded by the Department of State or Department of Defense, significant training programs include the International Law Enforcement Academies in Budapest, Hungary; Bangkok, Thailand; Gaborone, Botswana; and San Salvador, El Salvador, as well as bilateral training programs targeting anti-terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and terrorist financing. **Detection and Prevention:** By keeping their fingers on the pulse of criminal activity, national security threats, and emerging trends in the nations and regions they serve, legal attachés function as an early warning system to help keep crime and terrorism from reaching our shores. ## FBI's International Offices Visit these Official FBI International Officer locations. If the contact information is not listed, visit the U.S. Embassy listing here: [https://www.usembassy.gov/](https://www.usembassy.gov/) ### AFRICA **Abuja, Nigeria** American Embassy: 011-234-9-461-4000 Nations covered: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria **Lagos, Nigeria, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-234-1-460-3400 **Accra, Ghana** American Embassy: 011-233-30-2741-000 Nations covered: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Togo **Niamey, Niger, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-277-20-72-26-61 **Addis Ababa, Ethiopia** American Embassy: 011-251-11-130-6000 Nations covered: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan **Djibouti, Djibouti, Suboffice** American Embassy: 253-21-453-000 **Dakar, Senegal** American Embassy: 011-221-33-879-4000 Nations covered: Cape Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone **Nairobi, Kenya** American Embassy: 011-254-20-363-6000 Nations covered: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda **Pretoria, South Africa** American Embassy: 011-27-12-431-4000 Nations covered: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe **Rabat, Morocco** American Embassy: 011-212-537-762-265 Nations covered: Mali, Mauritania, Morocco **Tunis, Tunisia** American Embassy: 011-216-71-107-000 Nations covered: Algeria, Libya, Tunisia **Algiers, Algeria, Suboffice** American Embassy: 213-770-08-20-00 ### AMERICAS **Bogota, Colombia** 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 (after hours) Nation covered: Brazil Sao Paolo, Brazil, Suboffice **Bridgetown, Barbados** American 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 (Islands of St. Barthelemy and French St. Martin), Netherland Antilles (islands of Bonaire and Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Dutch St. Maarten), St. Christopher, St. Kitts/Nevis (British West Indies), St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos **Nassau, Bahamas, Suboffice** American Consulate: 1-242-322-1181 **Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Suboffice** American 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 Nation covered: Mexico **Guadalajara Suboffice **American Consulate: 011-52-33-3268-2100 **Hermosillo Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-52-662-289-3500 **Juarez Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-52-656-227-3000 **Monterrey Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-52-81-8047-3100 **Tijuana Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-52-664-977-2000 **Ottawa, Canada** American Embassy: 1-613-238-5335 Nation covered: Canada **Toronto Suboffice** American Consulate: 1-416-640-8650 **Vancouver Suboffice** American Consulate: 1-604-685-4311 **Panama City, Panama** American Embassy: 011-507-317-5000 Nations covered: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua **San Jose, Costa Rica, Suboffice** Calle 98 Vía 104, Pavas San José, Costa Rica American Embassy: Telephone: 2519-2000 **San Salvador, El Salvador** American Embassy: 011-503-2501-2999 Nations covered: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras **Guatamala City, Guatamala, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-502-2326-4000 **Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-504-2236-9320 **Santiago, Chile** American Embassy: 011-56-22-330-3000 Nations covered: Bolivia, Chile, Peru **Lima, Peru, Suboffice** U.S. Embassy in Lima Avenida La Encalada cdra. 17 s/n Surco, Lima 33, Peru Telephone: (51-1) 618-2000 **Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic** American Embassy: 1-809-221-2171 or 1-809-567-7775 Nations covered: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica ### ASIA **Bangkok, Thailand** American Embassy: 011-66-2-205-4000 Nations covered: Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Thailand **Beijing, China** American Embassy: 011-86-10-8531-3000 Nations covered: Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China **Hong Kong, China, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-852-2523-9011 Nations covered: Hong Kong, Macau **Jakarta, Indonesia** American Embassy 011-62-21-5083-1000 Nations covered: Indonesia, Timor-Leste **Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia** American Embassy: 011-60-3-2168-5000 Nation covered: Malaysia **Manila, Philippines** American Embassy: 011-63-2-5301-2000 Nation covered: Philippines **New Delhi, India** American Embassy: 011-91-11-2419-8000 Nations covered: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka **Colombo, Sri Lanka, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-94-11-202-8500 Nations covered: Maldives, Sri Lanka **Dhaka, Bangladesh, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-880-2-5566-2000 Nations covered: Bangladesh, Nepal **Phnom Penh, Cambodia** American Embassy: 011-85-23-728-000 Nations covered: Cambodia, Vietnam **Hanoi, Vietnam, Suboffice** U.S. Embassy in Hanoi 7 Lang Ha Street Hanoi, Vietnam Phone: +84-24-3850-5000 **Seoul, South Korea** American Embassy: 011-82-2-397-4114 Nation covered: Republic of Korea **Singapore, Singapore** American Embassy: 011-65-6476-9100 Nations covered: Brunei, Diego Garcia, Singapore **Taipei, Taiwan** American Embassy: 011-886-2-2162-2000 Nation covered: Taiwan **Tokyo, Japan** American Embassy: 011-81-3-3224-5000 Nation covered: Japan ### AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND **Canberra, Australia** American Embassy: 011-61-2-6214-5600 Nations covered: Antarctica, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Howland Island, Kingman Reef, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis, Futuna **Sydney, Australia, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-612-9373-9200 **Wellington, New Zealand, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-64-4-462-6000 ### EASTERN EUROPE AND EURASIA **Ankara, Turkey** American Embassy: 011-90-312-455-5555 Nation covered: Turkey **Istanbul, Turkey, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-90-212-335-9000 **Astana, Kazakhstan** American Embassy: 011-7-3172-70-2100 Nations covered: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan **Athens, Greece** American Embassy: 011-30-210-720-2490 Nations covered: Cyprus, Greece **Nicosia, Cyprus, Suboffice** U.S. Embassy in Nicosia Metochiou & Ploutarchou Street 2407, Engomi Nicosia, Cyprus Telephone: 357-22-393939 **Belgrade, Serbia** American Embassy: 381-11-7064000 Nations covered: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia **Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Suboffice** U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo 1 Robert C. Frasure Street, 71000 SARAJEVO tel: +387 33 704-000 **Bucharest, Romania** American Embassy: 011-40-21-200-3300 Nations covered: Moldova, Romania **Budapest, Hungary** American Embassy: 011-36-1-475-4400 Nation covered: Hungary **Kyiv, Ukraine** American Embassy: 011-380-44-521-5000 Nations covered: Belarus, Ukraine **Moscow, Russia** American Embassy: 011-7-495-728-5000 Nation covered: Russia **Prague, Czech Republic** American Embassy: 011-420-2-5702-2000 Nations covered: Czech Republic and Slovakia **Riga, Latvia** American Embassy: 011-371-6710-7000 Nations covered: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania **Tallinn, Estonia, Suboffice** American 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 Nation covered: Poland ### EUROPE **Berlin, Germany** American Embassy: 011-49-30-238-5174 Nation covered: Germany **Frankfurt, Germany, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-49-69-7535-0 **Bern, 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, U.S. Mission to NATO and the EU **Copenhagen, Denmark** American Embassy: 011-45-3341-7100 Nations covered: Denmark, Faroe Island, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden **Stockholm, Sweden, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-46-8-783-5300 **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 **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, U.S. Mission to Europol **Vienna, Austria** American Consulate: 011-43-1-313-39-2155 Nations covered: Austria, Croatia, Slovenia ### MIDDLE EAST **Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates** American Embassy: 011-971-2-414-2200 Nation covered: United Arab Emirates **Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Suboffice** 011-971-4-309-4000 **Amman, Jordan** American Embassy: 011-962-6-590-6000 Nations covered: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria **Beirut, Lebanon, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-961-4-542-600 **Baghdad, Iraq** American Embassy: 1-240-553-0590 Nation covered: Iraq **Erbil, Iraq, Suboffice** **Cairo, Egypt** American Embassy: 011-202-2797-3300 Nation covered: Egypt **Doha, Qatar** American Embassy: 011-974-4496-6000 Nations covered: Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar **Kuwait City, Kuwait, Suboffice** American Embassy: 011-965-2259-1001 **Islamabad, Pakistan** American Embassy: 011-92-51-208-0000 Nation covered: Pakistan **Karachi, Pakistan, Suboffice** American Consulate: 011-92-21-3527-5000 **Muscat, Oman** American Embassy: 968-2464-3400 Nation covered: Oman **Riyadh, Saudi Arabia** American 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 National Authority **Jerusalem, Israel, Suboffice **972-2-622-7127