In the wake of reports this spring that Wal-Mart paid millions of dollars in bribes to expand its operations in Mexico, other retailers have notified U.S. authorities of possible violations of the anti-bribery law, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, in their international operations, Reuters says. Now the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are considering a wide-ranging investigation of the retail industry.

The Securities and Exchange Commission usually handles such industry-wide investigations, although the Justice Department sometimes plays a role. Both the SEC and the Justice Department sent letters asking about FCPA violations in 2010, and more recently the SEC sent queries to movie studios.

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For previous stories on this topic, see Wal-Mart Said Subject of U.S. Probe, Probe Exposes Wal-Mart to Fines and Many Firms Loath to Report Bribery.