The United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is a key component of its Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). It is the Department’s main investigative and law enforcement arm. Its responsibilities lie in ensuring holistic security for US diplomats and embassies abroad. This includes protecting dignitaries and specific foreign government officials on US soil, investigating passport and visa fraud, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism. With over 2500 employees worldwide and a long history, it is essential to securing American interests around the globe and allowing Foreign Service Officers (FSO) to conduct diplomacy. [source]
For this article, we spoke with Robert David Booth, a DSS veteran with over 30 years of service with a strong focus on counterintelligence. He authored the book “State Department Counterintelligence: Leaks, Spies, and Lies”. Robert served as a Special Agent on multiple domestic tours, five overseas assignments, and was the Deputy Director of the State Department’s Office of Counterintelligence from 1996 to 2002. In this role, he worked on multiple major espionage cases, including Kendall Myer, the SVR’s introduction of a listening device inside the Main State Department Building, and Robert Hanssen. He shared his insights and knowledge about the history, structure, and work culture of the DSS. We thank him for the contribution.
1.0 Historic brief
The DSS takes its start in 1916, when the State Department established the Secret Intelligence Bureau (SIB) to combat espionage and rising cases of document fraud during World War I. Until World War II, the responsibilities of the SIB were mainly domestic. [source]
The staff did not serve at embassies until after World War II. The war started a shift in responsibility towards securing embassies abroad in cooperation with local authorities and US Marine Security Guard Detachments. In 1945, the State Department expanded the office into the Office of Security (SY) – the old SIB -, which also broadened the mission to foreign protection of embassies.
In 1985, the US Congress established the DS and DSS. This was preceded by a series of attacks on US diplomatic facilities, following the bombings of the U.S Embassies in Islamabad, Pakistan, Nairobi, Kenya, Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania and Beirut Lebanon and the murders of US Ambassadors Cleo Noel, Jr. (Sudan – 1971), Rodger Davies, (Nicosia – 1974), Francis Meloy Jr. (Lebanon 1979) , and Adolph Dubs, (Kabul 1979). The Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 established a formal legal framework for its operations. This marked the beginning of the DSS as a law enforcement agency with a particular focus on foreign operations. [source]
2.0 Organization and Structure
The DSS operates under the umbrella of the DS. The DS is responsible for policy, guidance, and oversight of security related issues within the State Department. While similar abbreviations might cause confusion, the key difference is that the DS coordinates all security activities, whereas the DSS is the arm of the DS that executes a law enforcement mission. [source]
The DSS is led by a Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS). He is an active special agent and oversees the 2,500+ special agents.
2.1 Operational Divisions and Organizational Structure
The DSS is the most global US law enforcement organization. It serves at 270 locations around the world and 33 offices within the US. [source]
It consists of multiple operational divisions that focus on specific areas:
- Protective Operations: Responsible for the protection of specific high-ranking individuals–such as the Secretary of State, who enjoys close protection 24/7–and foreign dignitaries visiting the US. The eligibility of DSS protection for foreign leaders is determined through a threat assessment and bilateral contact. Robert Booth mentioned that, in fact, the DSS conducted protective operations for foreign Heads- of- State entering the United States on official visits before the Secret Service was assigned that responsibility in the 1960s.
- Security Engineering: Responsible for physical security of US diplomatic facilities.
- Investigations: Conducts investigations into passport fraud, visa violations and other federal crimes in collaboration with other US agencies. The initial crime is often connected to other crimes such as human trafficking, drug and gun smuggling, and terrorism. [source]
- Counterintelligence: Tasked with detecting, deterring, and neutralizing threats posed by espionage and foreign intelligence services targeting the State Department. The DSS conducts preliminary fact finding inquiries , which, when appropriate, shares its conclusions with the FBI. According to the Intelligence Authorization Act of 1995 , all counterespionage cases must be managed by the FBI.
- Counterterrorism: Protection of US diplomatic staff and overseas diplomatic missions against terrorist threats, often in collaboration with other intelligence agencies through Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs). [source]
- Diplomatic Couriers: Responsible for the transportation of sensitive/classified material through international borders. [source]
3.0 Mission set
The mission set of the DSS has evolved to incorporate a diverse set of law enforcement, investigative, and intelligence functions. [source, source]
3.1 Protection
The DSS ensures that all US embassies, embassy staff, and their families follow appropriate security protocols. This includes managing the security of buildings (e.g. determining height and thickness of walls, assessing transportation security, deciding whether windows need to be bulletproof, etc.) and, when necessary, movement and safety of FSOs as they move about in sometimes hostile environments.
Additionally, DSS raises awareness about local terrorism and intelligence threats and establishes respective security protocols. Every US embassy and some consulates have a senior DSS representative, a Resident Security Officer (RSO). This role oversees all security measures and reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Mission, the Ambassador’s deputy who oversees the daily operation of the embassy.
3.2 Event Security
In addition to providing security details to the Secretary of State and foreign leaders, the DSS plans and executes security measures for international events with an American presence. This happens often in collaboration with other US and international law enforcement agencies. The largest event of that kind is the annual UN General Assembly in New York City. [source]
3.3 Crisis Response
In cases of emergencies or political upheavals, DSS can be tasked with crisis response operations and coordination of evacuations. Additionally, the DSS includes Mobile Security Deployments, which are tactical units deployed during heightened threats. [source]
Robert discussed the current example of the US embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Securing the operation of the diplomatic mission posed a particular challenge due to the political situation in the country. The RSO recently received an award from the State Department – he established the embassy’s Unmanned Aerial Systems programme to enhance safety around the embassy. Additionally, he and his team ensured the evacuation of 1500 Americans via helicopter.
3.4 Background investigations
The DSS conducts all the background investigations for the State Department for current and prospective employees. The goal is to determine whether they meet the requirements to hold a security clearance at the Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) level.
3.5 Emerging threats
The State Department and the DSS monitor all their computer systems 24/7 to detect suspicious activity. Cyber threats remain a rising occurrence, particularly with the advancements of artificial intelligence (AI). DSS is constantly raising awareness regarding ongoing terrorist, cyber, and intelligence threats. [source]
According to Robert, the rising threat from drones to the security of diplomatic buildings, which allows for surveillance and potential dropping of explosives on embassy grounds, raises the stakes for physical security measures even higher.
4.0 Standout Factors
While the US has a large intelligence community and multiple law enforcement agencies, the DSS has several unique characteristics:
- Diplomacy: The DSS is specifically tasked with protecting American diplomatic interests abroad. However, being DSS agents often means being diplomats themselves. Robert Booth stressed the importance of communicating with embassy FSOs as well as local authorities and host nation counterparts from law enforcement and intelligence.
- Global Presence: With US diplomatic missions in about 170 countries, the DSS is one most globally deployed law enforcement agencies in the world.
- Integration with State Department: DSS employees are members of the Foreign Service, mixing law enforcement and diplomatic tasks. Just as FSOs, DSS agents enjoy diplomatic immunity abroad. [source]
4.1 Working in the DSS
Working for the DSS is oftentimes challenging as it is rewarding. The service offers many different career fields. [source, source]
The unique blend of law enforcement and diplomatic work is what attracts many of the DSS agents into the service. DSS agent candidates begin their potential career by training with fellow federal law enforcement officers at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) with other federal law enforcement agencies (excluding the FBI who has its own training facilities). Upon successful graduation from FLETC, DSS candidate agents must then pass DSS’s Foreign Affairs Secuirty Training Center’s (FATSC) course of instruction.
Similar to FSOs, DSS agents serve multi-year tours abroad and inside the US. Serving on security details, for instance that of the Secretary of State, as well as in hardship posts is considered a “rite of passage” for many agents. Depending on the assignment, this can include extensive travel schedules throughout the year. [source]
For many postings at embassies, agents can bring their families. Additionally, Robert mentioned that after they retire from the DSS, the private sector often welcomes them with generous offers, particularly in private and corporate security. The additional expertise on procedural and physical security, liaison with foreign security services, and working in sometimes hostile overseas environments is what sets DSS employees apart from other agencies.
Photo by Sgt. Terence Brady, Defense Media Activity – Marines
5.0 Conclusion
The DSS has advanced from a small investigative into a full-fledged law enforcement agency with indispensable responsibilities in ensuring the security of US diplomatic missions. Given the uncertainty in geopolitical shifts and the emergence of new threats, the DSS will continue to play a key role for American diplomacy and national security.
