Regional Security Officer

A regional security officer (RSO) is a special agent of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in charge of a regional security office. The RSO is the principal security attaché and advisor to the U.S. ambassador at American embassies and consulates.^[1] Working for the United States Department of State as special agents, RSOs are also considered to be officers of the State Department acting as specialists within the United States Foreign Service. The RSO is also the senior law enforcement representative at a U.S. Embassy.

Authority and responsibilities

Working under the dual supervision of the chief of mission (ambassador) and the Diplomatic Security Service, the RSO ensures that all mandated security programs are carried out. The word "regional" derives from a historical shortage of agents, leading to many embassies with no resident DSS agent; often an RSO would have to oversee security at several embassies and consulates. Since virtually each embassy now has an RSO, the term is largely anachronistic. In some cases, an RSO may regionally oversee security at consulates and other U.S. presence facilities from an embassy within a country.

At an embassy, the RSO reports directly to the deputy chief of mission, who in turn reports directly to the ambassador. Under the RSO's direct supervision are the following groups: U.S. Marine security guards, assistant RSOs, local guards, foreign service national (FSN) investigators, an office management specialist and other secretarial and staff assistants, a surveillance detection unit (with a mission of detecting hostile surveillance), security engineering officers, security technical specialists, as well as Navy Seabees assigned to post.

The RSO is in charge of security for all Americans assigned to an embassy (or on temporary duty to Post) that come under the authority of the Chief of Mission. The RSO's responsibility for security relates to personnel, information, physical security of embassy buildings and residences, as well as the conduct of criminal investigations, particularly those involving passport and visa fraud. At larger embassies having other law enforcement agencies in addition to the Diplomatic Security Service, the RSO chairs a law enforcement working group as the Ambassador's main law enforcement and security attaché/advisor. This group is composed of all other U.S. law enforcement agencies that may be represented at an embassy such as ICE/HSI, CBP, FBI/LEGAT (legal attaché), U.S. Secret Service, NCIS, AFOSI and others. The working group ensures that the ambassador is apprised of all significant law enforcement activity at post.

Fugitives

Since the Diplomatic Security Service is the most widely represented law enforcement organization in the world,^[2] its capability to track and capture fugitives who have fled U.S. jurisdiction to avoid prosecution is unmatched.^{[citation needed]} During 2009, the DSS assisted in the resolution of 136 international fugitive cases around the globe.^[3]

The role of the DSS in tracking international fugitives was highlighted in the movies Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6.

References

^ April 4-8, 1987, United States Congress House Committee on Foreign Affairs Delegation to the Soviet Union (1987). Security at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow: Report of a Congressional Delegation to the Soviet Union, April 4-8, 1987 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 11.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ United States Department of State DSS WEBSITE
^ DSS collaborates with Archived 2012-10-25 at the Wayback Machine America's Most Wanted

Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the Manhunt for the Al-Qaeda Terrorists, Samuel M. Katz, 2002
Targeted: Volume 1, The Evil Genius (Ramzi Yousef) (Wild Eyes Productions for the History Channel; A&E Television Networks) 2003

External links

REWARDS FOR JUSTICE - DSS - Money for Information leading to the capture of Terrorists
BBC article on DSS
Pamphlet - DSS: A Global Law Enforcement Agency
OFFICIAL U.S. Diplomatic Security Website
U.S. Diplomatic Security History Book
U.S. Diplomatic Security Photo Gallery
U.S. Diplomatic Security Pictorial History
U.S. Diplomatic Security testifies before Senate's Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Subcmte, SD-342
U.S. Diplomatic Security's Assistant Secretary of State testifies before the Senate C-SPAN
U.S. Diplomatic Security's Assistant Secretary of State testifies before the Senate on 6/29/2011 C-SPAN
DS on C-SPAN
Diplomatic Security Special Agents Association
Diplomatic Security - Office of Foreign Missions
Diplomatic Security WASHINGTON POST article
Diplomatic Security - Mobile Security Deployments (MSD)
1996 Secretary of State Warren Christopher presents awards for valor to DSS Special Agents - Transcript
DS Special Agents at the Olympics
CBS Evening News - DSS at the UN General Assembly 2009
CBS Evening News - Diplomatic Security Behind the Scenes
CBS NEWS 6 June 2011 - Keeping U.S. Officials Safe Overseas - DSS Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
CBS Evening News 22 Sept 2011 - DSS: Inside Hillary Clinton's Security Bubble
AMW - America's Most Wanted Interview of RSO Rob Kelty - Diplomatic Security Service - 11 min. 15 sec. into the segment. Segment aired on February 27, 2010 on AMW
AMW - America's Most Wanted - Behind the Scenes: Belize - DSS Special Agent (RSO) Rob Kelty interviewed by John Walsh
Former DS Special Agent tells Fox News that radical Muslim cleric lied to qualify for U.S.- funded college scholarship
VISA SECURITY - Stratfor.com
DSS Special Agent Randall Bennett investigates Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl's murder
DSS Segments/Clips
DSS and America's Most Wanted
Diplomatic Security 2010 Year in Review - Vigilant In an Uncertain World
Defense Standard Magazine, Winter 2010 Pg 76, Diplomatic Security - ACTIVE DIPLOMACY
PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION ON PASSPORT APPLICATIONS LEADS TO FEDERAL PROSECUTIONS
Diplomatic Security Service Protecting U.S. Officials Overseas
U.S. Investigates Syrian Diplomats for Spying on Protesters - State Department may limit their travel
Female DSS Agents in ELLE Magazine
Marine Museum honors partnership between Corps' Security Guard Program & Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service
DS/HSI-ICE: Authorities Bust Strip Club Operation that Illegally Employed Hundreds by the Mob^{[permanent dead link]}
U.S. Diplomatic Security in Iraq After the Withdrawal
L.A. arsons: Federal agent tips helped lead to suspect's capture
C-SPAN Diplomatic Security in Libya - DS testifies before the House Committee Oversight and Reform
Ambassador Kennedy comments on House Oversight testimony (11 minutes) Archived 2013-04-14 at archive.today

[1] April 4-8, 1987, United States Congress House Committee on Foreign Affairs Delegation to the Soviet Union (1987). Security at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow: Report of a Congressional Delegation to the Soviet Union, April 4-8, 1987 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 11.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[2] United States Department of State DSS WEBSITE

[3] DSS collaborates with Archived 2012-10-25 at the Wayback Machine America's Most Wanted

Regional Security Officer

Authority and responsibilities

Fugitives

See also

References

External links