The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the arm of the U.S. government that investigates terrorist threats and other threats to U.S. security that take place on American soil. It enforces hundreds of federal laws and assists other agencies—federal, municipal, and international—with their investigations.
New Haven was found to be the fourth most violent city in the country in 2011, and the jobs performed by FBI agents in New Haven involve the investigation of a wide variety of crime, ranging from terrorist threats and the violence associated with organized crime and the drug trade, to mortgage fraud and police corruption. FBI agents in New Haven frequently work closely with the New York City FBI Division, since many cases overlap.
The FBI Office in New Haven has a rich history, having been responsible for the arrest of Black Panther leader Bobby Seale in 1970 and having greatly limited criminal activities of the Gambino and Genovese organized crime families. Areas of crimes that they have investigated include:
- Alien Registration Violations
- Atomic Energy Act cases
- Child Pornography
- Drug Trafficking
- Espionage
- Insurance Fraud
- Cyber Crime
- Kidnapping
- Money Laundering
- Racketeering
- Selective Service Violations
FBI Field Offices and Jobs in the New Haven Division
FBI careers in New Haven include working with the Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Divisions of the FBI, along with the Criminal Investigative and Cyber Divisions.
In the last decade, New Haven FBI agents led a multi-agency investigation into the waste-hauling industry in the state, which was controlled by the Mafia. Ten companies and over 30 individuals were convicted or pled guilty following their investigation, freeing companies in that industry to operate freely without paying kickbacks to organized crime.
In addition to investigating local organized crime organizations, the New Haven FBI Division has been involved in the fight against terrorism. Two British citizens were extradited to New Haven for providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to kill people in a foreign country.
Along with the main office in New Haven, the FBI has three satellite offices in the area. All three of these offices encompass part of the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Connecticut lies between the New York and Boston, making it an important area for the transit of drugs.
The three satellite offices are:
Bridgeport (responsible for Fairfield County)
The FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force conducted a multi-agency long-term investigation into the role of the Gambino Crime Family in illegal gambling operations in Stamford and Hamden. As a result of this investigation, 20 individuals were charged with federal offenses.
As part of the FBI’s investigations into drug and gang activity, FBI agents and local police have conducted raids in Bridgeport to arrest gang members involved in drug trafficking. Additional investigations in Fairfield County have involved mortgage fraud. In October 2012, an individual was found guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining over $3.5 million in mortgage loans.
Meriden (responsible for Hartford, Litchfield, Northern New Haven, Northern Middlesex, and Tolland Counties)
Members of the FBI satellite office in Meriden have arrested individuals for distributing child pornography and for political corruption in separate cases. The FBI participated in the joint law enforcement Operation Northern Strike that targeted members of street gangs engaged in illegal activity in the Northeast and Upper Albany neighborhoods of Hartford.
New London (responsible for New London and Windham)
With the assistance of the Connecticut Mortgage Fraud Task Force, a multi-agency group including representatives from the FBI, two different New London women were sentenced for mortgage fraud in 2012.
Investigations by FBI agents of the New Haven Division brought sentences in the first part of 2013 alone for distributing child pornography, bank robbery, planting a fake bomb at a middle school, committing multi-million dollar fraud, trafficking in narcotics, and being involved in a phishing scheme.
How to Become an FBI Special Agent in New Haven, CT: Training and
Degree Requirements
Citizens of Connecticut who wish to help protect the public by fighting crime and terrorism should consider undergoing formal training, so they can become an FBI agent.
The qualifications to join the FBI in Connecticut involve:
- Citizenship of the U.S.
- Age between 23 and 36 years
- Bachelor’s degree or additional training
- Minimum of two years professional experience
- Willingness to travel anywhere
People with training in engineering or the physical sciences are especially welcome, as are those with military or intelligence experience. To be considered for FBI agent jobs in New Haven, interested citizens can visit the New Haven office or one of the satellite offices, or fill out an online application. Those accepted will face an array of tests to determine their qualifications.