The United States Diplomatic Security Service (DSS or DS) is the federal law enforcement and security arm of the United States Department of State. Its main duties are to secure the integrity of U.S. travel documents, namely against visa and passport fraud, and to help facilitate U.S. foreign policy by protecting diplomatic assets, personnel, and information.
The DSS is the lead U.S. law enforcement organization abroad, and the most widely deployed in the world, protecting 275 U.S. diplomatic missions in over 170 countries and 30 U.S. cities. Originating from diplomatic security measures enacted during the First World War, the agency was formally established in 1985 in response to the deadly 1983 bombings of the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
