Secret Service
The US federal agency responsible for protecting political leaders, which faced severe criticism for its perceived massive failure in preventing the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
First Mentioned
9/20/2025, 5:00:23 AM
Last Updated
9/20/2025, 5:03:43 AM
Research Retrieved
9/20/2025, 5:03:43 AM
Summary
The Secret Service, particularly the United States Secret Service, is a federal law enforcement agency with dual critical missions: protection and criminal investigations. While the concept of a 'secret service' generally refers to government or intelligence agencies gathering data with varying policing powers across countries, the U.S. Secret Service was founded in 1865 under the U.S. Treasury Department to combat widespread currency counterfeiting. Its protective mandate expanded in 1901, following President William McKinley's assassination, to safeguard national leaders, their families, and visiting dignitaries. Since March 2003, it has operated under the Department of Homeland Security, continuing its investigative work into financial and cybercrimes, alongside its protective duties. A recent 'Secret Service Failure' during a Trump assassination attempt in Pennsylvania has been cited as a symptom of broader institutional decay within U.S. government agencies, potentially influenced by charged political rhetoric.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Type
Federal Law Enforcement Agency
Staff
Special agents, uniformed officers, support personnel
Founded
1865
Headquarters
245 Murray Lane SW - BLDG T-5, Washington, DC 20223, USA
Phone Number
1-202-406-5708
Primary Missions
Protection, Criminal Investigations
Protective Scope
President, Vice President, their families, visiting heads-of-state/government, National Special Security Events
Operational Scope
Domestic and International offices
Parent Department (Current)
United States Department of Homeland Security
Parent Department (Original)
U.S. Treasury Department
Investigative Scope (Cybercrimes)
Cybercrime, Network Intrusions, Computer Fraud, Computer-based attacks on financial systems
Investigative Scope (Financial Crimes)
Counterfeiting (U.S. currency, obligations, securities), Bank and Financial Institution Fraud, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, Illicit Financing Operations, Major Conspiracies, Forgery/Theft of U.S. Treasury checks/bonds/securities, Access Device Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, Identity Theft, Intellectual Property Crimes
Timeline
- The U.S. Secret Service was founded as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department, primarily to combat widespread counterfeiting of U.S. currency. (Source: SecretService.gov FAQ)
1865
- Following the assassination of President William McKinley, the U.S. Secret Service was first tasked with the mission of protecting the President and other national leaders. (Source: SecretService.gov FAQ, Britannica)
1901
- Control of the U.S. Secret Service was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Department of Homeland Security. (Source: Britannica)
2003-03-01
- A Trump assassination attempt occurred in Pennsylvania, leading to significant criticism of a 'Secret Service Failure' and concerns about institutional decay. (Source: Related Documents, Web Search)
2024-07-13
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaSecret service
A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For instance, a country may establish a secret service which has some policing powers (such as surveillance) but not others. The powers and duties of a government organization may be partly secret and partly not. The person may be said to operate openly at home and secretly abroad, or vice versa. Secret police and the FBI can usually be considered secret services. Various states and regimes, at different times and places, established bodies that could be described as a secret service or secret police – for example, the agentes in rebus of the late Roman Empire were sometimes defined as such. In modern times, the French police officer Joseph Fouché is sometimes regarded as a pioneer of secret intelligence; among other things, he is alleged to have prevented several murder attempts on Napoleon during his time as First Consul (1799–1804) through a large and tight net of various informants. William Wickham is also credited with establishing one of the earliest intelligence services that would be recognized as such today and a pioneer of basic concepts of the profession, such as the "intelligence cycle."
Web Search Results
- United States Secret Service - Wikipedia
intelligence to investigate all manners of threats made against protectees. The Secret Service is the lead agency in charge of the planning, coordination, and implementation of security operations for events designated as National Special Security Events (NSSE). As part of the service's mission of preventing an incident before it occurs, the agency relies on advance work and threat assessments developed by its Intelligence Division to identify potential risks to protectees. [...] The Secret Service is tasked with safeguarding the payment and financial systems of the United States from a wide range of financial and cyber-based crimes. Financial investigations include counterfeit U.S. currency, bank and financial institution fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, illicit financing operations, and major conspiracies. Cyber investigations include cybercrime, network intrusions, identity theft, access device fraud, credit card fraud, and intellectual property crimes. The Secret [...] In addition to the above, the Secret Service can also protect other individuals by executive order of the president. Under Presidential Policy Directive 22, "National Special Security Events", the Secret Service is the lead agency for the design and implementation of operational security plans for events designated an NSSE by the secretary of homeland security.
- U.S. Secret Service | History, Duties, & Facts - Britannica
The U.S. Secret Service is a federal law-enforcement agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security tasked with the criminal investigation of counterfeiting and other financial crimes. After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, the agency assumed the role of chief protective service for national leaders, their families, and visiting dignitaries. ### When was the U.S. Secret Service created? [...] U.S. Secret Service, federal law-enforcement agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security tasked with the criminal investigation of counterfeiting and other financial crimes. After the assassination of Pres. William McKinley in 1901, the agency also assumed the role of chief protective service for national leaders, their families, and visiting dignitaries. [...] On rare occasions, large public gatherings (such as the Super Bowl) or major political events (such as party conventions or major speeches) may be designated National Special Security Events. In these cases the Secret Service works with local and federal law-enforcement organizations to secure the event and the surrounding airspace. In March 2003 the Treasury Department ceded control of the Secret Service to the Department of Homeland Security. A scandal rocked the agency in 2012 when it was
- United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS) performs two critical homeland security missions: protection and criminal investigations. Through its protective mission, the Secret Service preserves continuity of government and ensures security at events of national significance by protecting the President and Vice President, their families, visiting heads-of-state/government, and other designated individuals. The USSS also investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, the [...] In order to fulfill its protective and investigative mission, the Secret Service maintains both domestic and international offices and employs special agents, uniformed officers, and support personnel. [...] Through its investigative mission, the USSS prevents cyber crime and other malicious uses of cyberspace that can create economic instability and undermine confidence in U.S. financial systems. The Secret Service does this by investigating violations of laws relating to: counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes, such as access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation’s
- Frequently Asked Questions About Us - Secret Service
What is the origin of the Secret Service? The United States Secret Service, one of the nation's oldest federal investigative law enforcement agencies, was founded in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department. It was originally created to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency - a serious problem at the time. In fact, following the Civil War, it was estimated that one-third to one-half of the currency in circulation was counterfeit. [...] The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction to investigate threats against Secret Service protectees as well as financial crimes, which include counterfeiting of U.S. currency or other U.S. Government obligations; forgery or theft of U.S. Treasury checks, bonds or other securities; credit card fraud; telecommunications fraud; computer fraud, identify fraud and certain other crimes affecting federally insured financial institutions. [...] In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York, the Secret Service was first tasked with its second mission: the protection of the president. Today, the Secret Service's mission is two-fold: protection of the president, vice president and others; and investigations into crimes against the financial infrastructure of the United States. Who is the Secret Service authorized to protect? By law, the Secret Service is authorized to protect:
- Secret Service | USAGov
The Secret Service works to safeguard the nation's financial infrastructure. The Secret Service is also responsible for protecting national leaders and visiting heads of state. Website Secret Service Contact Contact the Secret Service Phone number 1-202-406-5708 Find an office near you Find a Secret Service office near you Main address 245 Murray Lane SW - BLDG T-5 Washington, DC 20223 SHARE THIS PAGE: Image 8: FacebookImage 9: X Twitter USAGovImage 10: Email Have a question?
Wikidata
View on WikidataInstance Of
DBPedia
View on DBPediaLocation Data
Secret Service, Siggerudbråtan, Siggerud, Nordre Follo, Akershus, 1295, Norge
Coordinates: 59.8011825, 10.8688906
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