Interpol vs FBI — jurisdiction, powers, relationship
People sometimes imagine Interpol as a global police force that can arrest people anywhere, and the FBI as a US-only equivalent. The reality is the opposite: Interpol never arrests, the FBI arrests only inside the US, and they cooperate routinely through Interpol's channels.
| Interpol | FBI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of body | International organisation of 196 member countries | US federal executive agency of the Department of Justice |
| Arrest powers | None. Interpol has no officers who can arrest anyone. | Yes — within the United States and its territories |
| Jurisdiction | None. Requests cooperation from member states' own police. | Federal crimes on US soil, and selected extraterritorial authorities (e.g. terrorism, cybercrime) |
| Headquarters | Lyon, France | Washington, DC, USA |
| Founded | 1923 (as the International Criminal Police Commission) | 1908 |
In practice
The FBI is the US National Central Bureau of Interpol — the single channel through which all US law-enforcement agencies request and receive Interpol notices. When the FBI is hunting a fugitive who has fled abroad, it will typically ask Interpol to issue a Red Notice. Conversely, when a foreign country wants a US-based subject arrested, its own NCB circulates a Red Notice that the FBI or local US authorities may act upon. Neither organisation is subordinate to the other; they cooperate as independent peers.