United States Secret Service
| United States Secret Service | |
|---|---|
| Common name | U.S. Secret Service |
| Abbreviation | USSS |
Logo of the U.S. Secret Service
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Badge of a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent
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Flag of the U.S. Secret Service
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| Agency overview | |
| Formed | July 5, 1865 |
| Employees | 6,750 + (2014) |
| Annual budget | $2.8 billion (2014) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency | U.S. |
| General nature |
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| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Sworn members | 4,400 |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency |
 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2003–present) U.S. Department of the Treasury (1865–2003) |
| Field offices | 136 |
| Facilities | |
| Resident agent offices | 68 |
| Overseas offices | 19 |
| Website | |
| www.SecretService.gov | |
The United States Secret Service (USSS) is an American federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Until 2003, the Service was part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The U.S. Secret Service has two distinct areas of responsibility:
The Secret Service's initial responsibility was to investigate counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was rampant following the U.S. Civil War. The agency then evolved into the United States' first domestic intelligence and counterintelligence agency. Many of the agency's missions were later taken over by subsequent agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and IRS Criminal Investigation Division (IRS).
The Secret Service has two primary missions: investigation of financial crimes and physical protection of designated protectees.
Today the agency's primary investigative mission is to safeguard the payment and financial systems of the United States from such crimes as financial institution fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, electronic funds transfers and money laundering as it relates to the agency's core violations.
After the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley, Congress also directed the Secret Service to protect the President of the United States. Protection remains the other key mission of the United States Secret Service.
Today, the Secret Service is authorized by law to protect:
Any of these individuals may decline Secret Service protection, except the President, the Vice President (or other officer next in the order of succession to the Office of President), the President-elect, and the Vice President–elect.
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