The Foreign Service Journal, March 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2017 37 to U.S. interests originate from abroad, DS is uniquely positioned to help counter and disrupt themmore effec- tively than any other U.S. law enforcement agency. Overseas Criminal Investigations For the past 20 years, DS special agents assigned abroad have also served as deputy or assistant regional secu- rity officers for investigations. Funded by the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and embedded with their consular colleagues, these dedicated criminal investigators, serving side by side with local criminal fraud investigators (CFIs), advance our interests by protecting the integrity of U.S. passports and visas; supporting criminal investigations by other U.S. federal, state and local law enforcement agencies; and serving as liai- sons to foreign law enforcement partners. DS has one of the largest and, arguably, most active, effec- tive and influential global criminal investigation and liaison programs within the U.S. federal law enforcement system. Its agents are assigned to more than 100 embassies and consulates. It also assigns agents to domestic field offices, interagency joint terrorism task forces (JTTFs) and other U.S. federal law enforce- ment agencies and centers; the International Criminal Police Organization (INTER- POL) in Washington, D.C., and in Lyon, France; and, since 2015, the European Police Agency (EUROPOL) in The Hague. Of particular note, capitalizing on the bureau’s global reach and unique relationship within the department, DS agents are key members of EUROPOL task forces established to defeat terrorist transit in Europe through visa and passport fraud investigations. Counterterrorism Work The Anti-Terrorism Assistance program is another DS capa- bility unique to the U.S. federal law enforcement community. The bureau provides civilian police-to-police training pro- grams to enhance the anti-terrorism capabilities of our foreign police partners, and has trained more than 100,000 students since its inception in 1983. Recently, ATA expanded to offer direct training of foreign- partner explosive detection K9 teams at the DS Canine Valida- tion Center in Virginia, one of the leading U.S. government explosive detection training centers in the country. Another The Anti-TerrorismAssistance program is another DS capability that is unique to the U.S. federal law enforcement community. A Mobile Security Deployment agent stands watch on the perimeter while DSS special agents escort Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef to a meeting with Secretary of State John F. Kerry during the 2016 U.N. General Assembly in New York City. DEPARTMENTOFSTATE