FBI Leans into AI to Target Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations
FBI Leans into AI as the Federal Bureau of Investigation increasingly turns to artificial intelligence to identify threats, analyze information and support investigations targeting drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia recently told CBS News that AI is already helping the bureau identify credible threats and move information from an initial tip to investigators in the field much faster — sometimes reducing a process that previously took weeks to hours or even minutes.
The development represents a significant shift in how federal investigators can process the enormous amounts of information generated during modern criminal investigations.
FBI Uses AI to Find Threats Faster
One of the biggest advantages of AI for law enforcement is its ability to process large quantities of information quickly.
Investigators can receive enormous volumes of tips, records, communications and other data during major cases. Manually reviewing all of that information can take significant time.
The FBI says AI can help sift through those datasets and identify information that may require immediate attention.
Raia told CBS News that the bureau has incorporated AI into its workflow so that important tips can rise to the top and reach field personnel more quickly.
The technology is therefore being positioned as an investigative support tool rather than a replacement for FBI agents.
Cartels Are a Major Target
The FBI’s expanded use of AI comes as the bureau continues to prioritize cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
The agency has been increasing resources devoted to criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons smuggling and other forms of organized crime.
The FBI’s fiscal 2027 budget request includes an additional $311.7 million and 686 positions aimed at strengthening efforts against criminal cartels, foreign gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
AI could help investigators connect information across these complex networks more efficiently.
How AI Can Help Investigators
AI can potentially assist investigators with tasks that would otherwise require large amounts of human time.
These applications include identifying patterns in large datasets, analyzing video, processing voice samples and helping investigators prioritize information.
The FBI’s own AI guidance says the bureau already uses AI for capabilities such as vehicle recognition, voice-sample triage for language identification, speech-to-text generation and video analytics.
The objective is to help investigators locate useful information faster while keeping humans involved in important decisions.
Human Investigators Remain Responsible
The FBI emphasizes that artificial intelligence does not make the final investigative decisions.
According to the bureau, AI-generated leads are treated as investigative leads and must be verified and validated by human experts before further substantive action is taken.
That distinction is important because AI systems can produce inaccurate or incomplete results.
An algorithm might identify a potential connection between people, locations or events, but investigators must determine whether that connection is actually meaningful.
AI Is Also Changing the Criminal Threat
The FBI’s interest in AI is not limited to using the technology against criminals.
The bureau is also increasingly concerned about criminals using AI themselves.
The FBI says artificial intelligence can make malicious activity faster and more scalable, including fraud, cybercrime and other criminal operations.
Criminal groups can potentially use AI to automate tasks, generate convincing communications, analyze information or improve other parts of their operations.
This creates a technological race in which law enforcement agencies must understand both legitimate and malicious uses of artificial intelligence.
Fighting Transnational Criminal Networks
Transnational criminal organizations can be particularly difficult to investigate because their activities often cross multiple countries and jurisdictions.
A single organization may have separate networks involved in transportation, financial transfers, communications and drug distribution.
AI-assisted analysis could help investigators identify relationships across these otherwise disconnected pieces of information.
The FBI has already expanded its focus on transnational organized crime, including through efforts involving international partners and specialized investigative teams.
In 2026, the bureau also established its first permanent office in Ecuador to strengthen cooperation with Ecuadorian authorities on drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, money laundering and terrorism financing.
AI Could Reduce Investigative Delays
Speed can be especially important in investigations involving rapidly moving criminal networks.
If investigators receive information about a potential threat, waiting days to identify its relevance could allow suspects to move money, change locations or destroy evidence.
AI-assisted systems can potentially help investigators prioritize information almost immediately.
That does not mean AI independently solves cases. Instead, it can help agents spend more time investigating the most relevant leads rather than manually sorting through every piece of information.
The FBI Is Building AI Governance Around Its Use
The bureau also recognizes that artificial intelligence creates privacy, civil-liberties and accuracy concerns.
The FBI says its use of AI must remain consistent with law, policy and constitutional protections.
The agency states that human investigators remain accountable for actions taken as a result of AI-assisted analysis and that AI-generated information must be reviewed by trained personnel.
This framework is designed to keep AI in a supporting role while maintaining human oversight.
AI and the Future of Law Enforcement
The FBI’s adoption of artificial intelligence reflects a much broader transformation across law enforcement and national security agencies.
Investigations increasingly involve digital communications, enormous databases, video footage, financial records and online activity.
Traditional investigative methods can struggle to process that volume of information efficiently.
AI offers a way to analyze much larger datasets and identify potential connections that investigators might otherwise miss.
At the same time, agencies will need to address concerns surrounding accuracy, bias, privacy, data security and accountability.
The Broader Fight Against Cartels
The FBI’s AI strategy is part of a much larger campaign against organized criminal networks.
The bureau says its efforts against Mexican cartels focus heavily on trafficking dangerous narcotics such as fentanyl. In a 2025 congressional statement, the FBI said it had more than 6,000 cases targeting transnational criminal organizations, including more than 850 linked to cartel leadership.
AI could become another tool for connecting intelligence and accelerating investigations across those cases.
What Happens Next?
The FBI is likely to expand its use of AI as the technology becomes more capable and integrated into investigative systems.
Future applications could involve more sophisticated analysis of financial transactions, communications, video and other investigative data.
But the bureau’s emphasis on human verification is likely to remain important.
For federal investigators, the goal is not simply to deploy the newest AI technology. It is to use it in situations where it can provide a measurable advantage while ensuring that decisions remain subject to human judgment and legal safeguards.
Key Takeaway
FBI Leans into AI as the bureau increasingly uses artificial intelligence to identify threats, analyze massive datasets and help investigators target cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Officials say AI has already helped shorten the time required to move credible tips from initial analysis to field action.
The technology could significantly increase investigative efficiency, but the FBI stresses that AI-generated leads still require human verification and that investigators remain responsible for decisions and actions.
FAQs
1. Why is the FBI using artificial intelligence?
The FBI is using AI to process large amounts of information, identify potential threats and help investigators prioritize leads more quickly.
2. Is the FBI using AI against cartels?
Yes. FBI officials have specifically identified drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations as targets of the bureau’s expanded AI-supported investigative efforts.
3. Can AI make arrests for the FBI?
No. AI can generate or prioritize investigative leads, but human investigators remain responsible for evaluating information and taking substantive action.
4. How does AI help FBI investigators?
AI can assist with tasks including video analysis, vehicle recognition, voice-sample processing, speech transcription and sorting large amounts of investigative information.
5. Can criminals also use AI?
Yes. The FBI warns that criminals can use AI to automate or enhance fraud, cybercrime and other malicious activities.
6. Does the FBI verify AI-generated information?
Yes. The FBI says AI-generated leads are verified and validated by human experts before further substantive investigative action.
7. Why are transnational criminal organizations difficult to investigate?
These organizations operate across borders and can involve complex networks of people, finances, communications and criminal activities spread across multiple jurisdictions.
8. Is AI replacing FBI agents?
No. The FBI describes AI as an investigative and analytical tool, with trained personnel remaining responsible for interpreting results and making decisions.
9. How much is the FBI increasing its resources against cartels?
The FBI’s fiscal 2027 budget request includes an additional $311.7 million and 686 positions to strengthen efforts against criminal cartels, foreign gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
10. What is the biggest challenge of using AI in law enforcement?
Balancing speed and technological capability with accuracy, privacy, civil liberties, security and human accountability will remain a major challenge as the FBI expands its use of artificial intelligence.
