I would like to know what the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security actually do, and what's the difference between these 2. That's because I know that both have a SWAT Team. But I'd like to know who primarily operates when it's about a police operation, a capture warrant or stuff like cracking down on cartel drug lords, illegal weapons dealer, domestic terrorists and terrorist in general. Take for exaple the Waco siege in 1993: it was conducted by the FBI HRT, because the DHS wasn't funded yet, thatwas later in 2003. But I think that if happened nowadays, the DHS would have taken part to the operation. I don't know if I'm right or wrong. 

DHS's primary mission is security/law enforcement at federal sites, such as federal offices or court houses.

 

FBI investigates and enforces federal law and provides assistance, varying from tactical to advisory, to smaller agencies.

US federal agencies are very confusing, because there are a lot of them and their jurisdictions often overlap. 

 

Departments are the highest level of organization of US federal government agencies. They each have a secretary, who leads the department and report directly to the President. Each department has numerous agencies beneath it, each with a more specific role. So, the Department of Homeland Security is a top-level department which contains a bunch of agencies, including (but not limited to):

• Coast Guard
• Secret Service
• Customs and Border Protection
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Federal Protective Service
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

The FBI is the agency for domestic intelligence and law enforcement (the CIA does foreign intelligence). The FBI falls under the Department of Justice. 

 

As far as I know, there is no "DHS SWAT team" per se, but the various agencies administered by the DHS may have their own SWAT teams. The FBI and DHS do also work together quite a bit. As for what DHS does, each of its agencies has a different mission. 

@PNWParksFan OK. Understood. So, if for example there are cartel drug lords in a compound, which one of DHS would be there? Immigration and Customs Enforcement?

13 minutes ago, badass22 said:

@PNWParksFan OK. Understood. So, if for example there are cartel drug lords in a compound, which one of DHS would be there? Immigration and Customs Enforcement?

It would depend on the situation. You might have DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency, also under the Department of Justice) involves, you could have FBI involved as part of the investigation (drug lords are probably involved in more illegal stuff than just drugs). If people have warrants out for them, US Marshals (also DOJ) might be involved. That's what I meant about how it's confusing and there are overlaps.