However,
some Bureau activities
have been criticized.
About seven years ago, the Bureau 7)raided
the heavily armed headquarters
of an 8)extremist religious group
in Waco, Texas.
A fire started.
76 people died,
including many children.
The present F.B.I.
developed from an agency
that did not deal with
many violent cases.
At that time,
President Theodore Roosevelt
wanted to stop
illegal activities by big businesses
and by companies
that bought and sold land
in the American West.
The Department of Justice had power
to enforce the nation?s laws.
But it did not have enough people
to investigate violations.
So President Roosevelt
told the Justice Department
to open an investigations office.
At first,
the new Bureau investigated cases
only for the Department of Justice.
But Congress gave the Bureau
other duties.
For example,
during World War I
the Bureau of Investigation
was ordered to look for enemy spies
in the United States.