As the State Department’s primary point of contact with host nation law enforcement and security agencies, the regional security office works with foreign police and security counterparts to coordinate U.S. law enforcement initiatives, investigations, and training.
Assistant Regional Security Officer Investigators
Assistant regional security officer investigators (ARSO-Is) are DSS special agents who support DSS investigations at more than 100 locations around the globe. They investigate passport and visa fraud, assist in investigating crimes against U.S. citizens, and train and collaborate with foreign nation law enforcement and immigration authorities.
Foreign Service National Investigators
Expert host-nation citizen investigators, known as foreign service national investigators (FSNIs), work with DSS special agents in the regional security office. FSNIs maintain strong relationships with host nation law enforcement organizations and help with fugitive apprehensions, counterterrorism, and transnational criminal cases.
Visa and Passport Fraud
Regional security office special agents conduct international document fraud investigations. Working with foreign law enforcement agencies, regional security offices investigate and coordinate hundreds of international visa and passport fraud cases each year.
Transnational Crimes
DSS has more than 2,000 special agents and hundreds of local criminal fraud investigators, investigative assistants, intelligence research specialists, forensic accountants, and other experts combatting crime around the world.