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Home About Us National Security Branch Counterproliferation Definition

Counterproliferation Definition

Counterproliferation Definition

Definition

Counterproliferation involves efforts to combat the spread or growth of weapons—conventional weapons, weapons of mass destruction, and related technology—that threaten the United States.

A number of U.S. government agencies—including law enforcement, licensing, and intelligence entities—are involved in the effort to restrict the sale, or theft, of restricted U.S. technologies to foreign nations, terrorist organizations, and others who would do our country harm.

Methods used to counter this threat vary—from diplomatic efforts and licensing restrictions to export enforcement and counterintelligence/foreign intelligence efforts.

Among those methods, the FBI is involved in export enforcement as appropriate, working with its partners on investigations into violations of export regulations that can lead to civil, administrative, and criminal punishments. In conjunction with its intelligence community partners, the Bureau harvests and uses foreign intelligence as it relates to proliferation efforts.

The FBI is the lead U.S. agency in the counterintelligence realm, and as such works—once again, with its partners—to identify, neutralize, or otherwise disrupt proliferation networks that often span the globe. Those partners include the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations.