DSS special agents serving as assistant regional security officer-investigators (ARSO-Is) are at the frontline of conducting transnational investigations and collaborative training with DSS international and foreign partners. These law enforcement officers work to protect U.S. national and border security before threats reach U.S. shores.
As it does each year, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) punched above its weight in 2019 especially in the areas of overseas investigations and training.
Here is a snapshot of one of their cases in 2019:
Providing the training and tools for partner nations to conduct investigations and law enforcement operations is a priority for the DSS ARSO-I program. At the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the DSS ARSO-I team works with Sierra Leonean law enforcement and security officials to provide the training and support they need to enhance their investigations and protect U.S. entities and their citizens from criminal and terrorist activities. During the last two years, ARSO-I Freetown advocated for and secured various types of training for Sierra Leonean officers, including cyber investigation techniques, anti-human trafficking and human smuggling awareness, counterterrorism courses, and even procured a spot for a Sierra Leone Police Force member at the FBI National Academy. Perhaps ARSO-I Freetown’s most productive collaboration thus far was its work with the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs on anti-corruption efforts. These and other initiatives exemplify how the ARSO-I program is a global force multiplier, especially in regions where there are limited resources yet multi-layered concerns that affect global security and diplomacy.