Defense Criminal Investigative Service

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is the criminal investigative arm of the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense.

Established in 1981, DCIS is a worldwide federal law enforcement agency that investigates criminal activities involving DoD components and contractors. The agency plays a critical role in protecting the integrity of Department of Defense programs and operations, with a primary mission to safeguard American warfighters by detecting and deterring fraud, waste, and abuse.

The fundamental mission of DCIS is to conduct professional investigations into matters critical to DoD property, programs, and operations, with a strong emphasis on life, safety, and readiness.

DCIS special agents are civilian federal law enforcement officers. They are tasked with protecting Defense and military personnel by investigating a wide range of criminal activities, from fraud and corruption to cybercrime and the illegal transfer of sensitive defense technologies.

DCIS prioritizes its investigations to focus on areas that have the most significant impact on the Department of Defense's operations and the safety of its personnel. Among those priorities are:

• Procurement and Acquisition Fraud: This is a top priority for DCIS and includes the introduction of defective, substituted, counterfeit, or substandard products into the DoD supply chain.
• Corruption and Financial Crimes: DCIS investigates bribery, kickbacks, money laundering, conflicts of interest, and embezzlement. These crimes undermine the integrity of the DoD and erode public trust.
• Defense Technology Protection: A key focus is the illegal theft, export, and transfer of sensitive DoD technology, systems, and weapons.
• Cybercrime and Computer Intrusions: DCIS addresses cybercrimes that compromise the DoD Information Network (DODIN), lead to the exfiltration of sensitive data, or involve contractual violations by DoD contractors.
• Health Care Fraud: The agency investigates fraud committed by providers that involves quality of care issues, unnecessary care, or failure to provide care to TRICARE-eligible service members, retirees, and their families.