Federal Investigation Bureau



"Yes, but we're corrupt in a good way."

- Dave Norton

The FIB (Federal Investigation Bureau) is a Law Enforcement Agency in the Grand Theft Auto series, appearing in Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.

General
The FIB is based on the real-life Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is suggested that, just like the real-life FBI, he FIB has the role of an internal intelligence agency and a federal criminal investigative body. As seen in GTA V, they also do domestic surveillance and counterterrorism.

Events of GTA IV and EFLC
The FIB makes its debut in the series in Grand Theft Auto IV.

With the wanted level system in GTA IV has been changed, FIB officers appear at four stars, unlike their 3D Era counterparts who chase the player at five stars. At four stars, small groups of the FIB officers will arrive to assist the LCPD and the NOOSE. Their attacks will become more frequent at five and six stars.

FIB agents drive their own variant of the Bravado Buffalo; this variant has a unique black paint job, complete with the LCPD's computer system which has full access to the department's database and blue/red emergency lights. The FIB agents are expert drivers, and would doggedly follow the player. They are also capable of drive-by shooting.

At four stars, most FIB agents will use SMGs against the player. It is also the weapon they use for drive-by shooting. At five and six stars, FIB agents begin to use much more accurate and powerful Carbine Rifles. The FIB also make use of Pump Shotguns, and their standard sidearm is the Pistol.

The agents employed by the FIB are often late middle-aged Caucasian men, unlike the LCPD and NOOSE who employ young to middle-aged Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic officers. These agents wear different types of uniforms; some wear random clothes with a navy blue jacket with the FIB logo, while others wear black suit pants with a white shirt and a black combat vest and a badge around their neck reading "FIB". All FIB Agents carry their FIB badges on the neck.

In certain missions in both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC packs, the FIB Agents employed are of African-American, Caucasian and Asian descent and wear different apparel, such as suits and ties, overcoats, blue FIB track coats and others who wear a tactical vest with the letters "FIB" printed in yellow on the front and the back. In TBoGT, the FIB agents may use Automatic Shotguns and Assault SMGs.

Events of GTA Chinatown Wars
In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the FIB agents wear grey outfits. After gaining a four stars wanted level, the FIB will be dispatched to the area to assist the LCPD in killing the player.

Instead of driving FIB Buffalos, they drive black FBI Ranchers, which have similar design to Cavalcades with modified headlights and grilles. Due to the fact that such law enforcement vehicles don't usually skillfully chase the player, or even follow at all at high speeds, the FIB can be easily evaded due to their slow FIB Ranchers. However, unless the player gets rid of the Wanted Level stars, there will be just more FIB Ranchers spawning in front after they're evaded.

On foot, FIB agents carry Micro SMGs (same weapon as the NOOSE officers). The FIB Agents attack the player in similar ways as NOOSE officers do.

Events of GTA Online
The FIB appeared in certain missions in GTA Online often appearing along side police.

There are different skins, one with a blue jacket with 'FIB' decals which look like the FIB agents in GTA IV, and another with a suit and tie and a blue bulletproof armor with 'FIB' decals. They can be selected in Capture Creator. With the Last Team Standing Update these agents have been replaced by IAA actors for some reason. However, they were added again with the Heists Update alongside with new options such as the aircraft carrier crew or the Merryweather operatives with night vision from The Humane Labs Raid.

They also make an appearence in the heist setup mission Humane Raid - Key Codes. When they try to lurk the crew of GTA Online Protagonists while they are recovering key codes for The Humane Labs Raid.

Events of GTA V
The FIB returns in Grand Theft Auto V, playing a major role in the game storyline. The Bureau has headquarters located in a high rise office tower located in Downtown, Los Santos. It's based on the One California Plaza. The FIB is a prominent antagonistic faction in the game along with Merryweather.

Unlike GTA IV, the FIB will not pursue the player if he has a 4 stars wanted level, being replaced by NOOSE units. The FIB makes regular appearances in missions. Three corrupt agents, Dave Norton, Steve Haines and Andreas Sanchez are associated with the three protagonists and give them several 'jobs' such as heists and attacks against the IAA.

It appears that the FIB has a rivalry with the IAA. It mirrors the real-life rivalry between the FBI and the CIA/NSA.

FIB Tactical Team
A unique FIB tactical team appears in the GTA V storyline. They use the same model as the NOOSE officers, but with FIB decals on their vests rather than 'POLICE' decals, indicating they are independant to the LSPD and are under the FIB's command. It is based on the real-life FBI SWAT. It is suggested that they are dispatched in case of extreme situation (hostages, etc.), however in GTA V they are seen defending the FIB Headquarters and raiding areas such as the Kortz Center on FIB agents' order. They are seen only in The Bureau Raid (roof approach), The Wrap Up and The Third Way, and they can be selected in Capture Creator.

They use better weaponry, such as assault rifles, SMGs and Shotguns. They share tactics with the NOOSE. The only known vehicle they use is the FIB Granger.

Employees and Associates

 * Employees
 * Agent Jones works in Liberty City as of 2008. He is involved with the cases of Elizabeta Torres's drug deal and The Lost MC. He unsuccessfully attempts to recruit Johnny Klebitz as an informant.
 * Steve Haines is a former agent who works in Los Santos as of 2013. He investigates some of the city's street gangs, including the Vagos, Ballas, The Families and The Lost MC for the CNT show The Underbelly Of Paradise. He is Dave Norton's superior in the Bureau, and was later the subject of a corruption investigation by the FIB. Depending on which ending is chosen, he is either killed by Trevor or recruits Franklin to kill Trevor and survives.
 * Dave Norton is an FIB agent, working under Steve Haines.JamesSmith-GTAV.jpg
 * Andreas Sanchez was the right-hand man of Steve Haines. He is later killed by Steve for having working with a rival agency.
 * James Smith is an FIB agent that can often be found accompanying scientists at the satellite dishes in the Grand Senora Desert.
 * Agent Rivera is an FIB agent who is apart of an FIB pedophile bust ring. He can be heard in a Weazel News report about it. According to the report, Rivera works undercover by dressing up like a little girl.
 * Gary Lane is the official spokesman for the FIB. He is often heard on the news.
 * Associates
 * Michael De Santa is a successful bank robber who retires from his "job" after Dave Norton offered him a deal: to fake his own death during a set-up heist and allow Norton to take credit to boost his career, in exchange for a state funded retirement in Los Santos.
 * Trevor Philips is Michael De Santa's partner in crime who gets blackmailed into assisting the bureau due to his criminal activities.
 * Franklin Clinton is a young gangbanger who aids Michael in several of his jobs involving the bureau in order to advance his own criminal career.
 * Billy Grey is a former President of the Alderney Chapter of The Lost MC who agrees to testify against his former friends in order to get time off his prison sentence, but is killed before being able to do so.

Vehicles

 * The FIB Buffalo is the FIB's main vehicle. It is a 1st gen Buffalo modified with full black paintjob and LED lights on several parts of the car. Appears in both GTA IV and GTA V.
 * The FIB Rancher is a FIB SUV which black paintjob and LED lights on the front windshield. Appears in Chinatown Wars.
 * The FIB Granger is a Declasse Granger that uses the same modifications as the Buffalo : black paintjob and several LED lights. Appears in GTA V.
 * The Buzzard is an helicopter and the FIB's only air vehicle known to be used. They use the armed variant. Only seen in GTA V.
 * A Frogger with a black paintjob and FIB decals was planned to appear in GTA V, but it was cut from the final version. It was probably meant to be used during Three's Company.

General

 * The FIB is based on the FBI. The agency's name is a play on words since fib is a synonym of lie, which probably hints towards corruption within the organization. This seems true as almost all of GTA V's story is based on working for a corrupt division of the FIB.
 * More likely, the decision to rename the FBI as the FIB could have come from the real-life FBI insisting for them to do so (perhaps out of fear of a loss of reputation), and so that they could avoid being sued for libel.
 * Coincidentally, the Federal Investigation Bureau is a real federal police branch in Austria.


 * Like the IAA, the FIB has taken on some duties of the real-life National Security Agency, including domestic espionage and counterterrorism.


 * On being asked by Niko at their introduction if U.L. Paper is actually FIB, the contact replies sarcastically asking if he looks like a homosexual, which might be a reference to the semi-confirmed homosexuality allegations of the FBI's first and longest serving director, J. Edgar Hoover.


 * His reaction also lampshades the bitter rivalry between his agency, the IAA with the FIB, which wasn't notorious during the events of GTA IV, but then evident during GTA V.
 * The rearrangement of the initials of the FBI into FIB is also possibly a reference to Men in Black (MIB).

GTA IV & Episodes

 * The four stars on the FIB seal is a reference to GTA IV, where the FIB may be dispatched after the player if he has a wanted level of 4 stars or more.
 * In Grand Theft Auto IV, some of the characters, particularly those in the Pegorino Family strand of missions, usually refer to the FIB as the "Feds," which is a general slang term for the FBI (or in this case, the FIB).

GTA V

 * Outside of missions in GTA V, FIB agents are not considered law enforcement. When FIB agents are angered and start shooting at the player at the satellite dishes, no wanted level is obtained. When the police arrive at the dishes and the player gets rid of his or her wanted level via cheats, the cops and FIB agents will shoot at each other. The agents alone might shoot at each other.
 * The fact that some of the UFO's seen in GTA V have FIB markings is a parody of the conspiracy that the U.S. government is hiding alien life from the public eye.
 * In GTA V, Female FIB agents can be seen in the Comms Floor of the Headquarters if the Fire Crew option has been chosen for The Bureau Raid.

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