U.S. Department of State Fiscal Year 2019 Agency Financial Report

Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. T he Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is the security and law enforcement arm of the Department. Visa crimes are international offenses that may start overseas, but can threaten public safety inside the United States if offenders are not interdicted with aggressive and coordinated law enforcement action. DS agents and analysts observe, detect, identify, and neutralize networks that exploit international travel vulnerabilities. In 2019, 1,042 new cases were opened. In addition, 1,096 cases were closed and DS made 39 arrests. DS agents in New York, Washington, D.C., and the Dominican Republic collaborated to investigate a visa fraud bribery scheme operating in the Dominican Republic and New Jersey. The main subject, Luis Santos, attempted to bribe Department officials in order to obtain visas for Dominican citizens who would otherwise be ineligible. Santos used relatives in the Dominican Republic to advertise and recruit his services. Santos’ mother, Brigida Santos Paulino, pled guilty in April 2019 for her role in the conspiracy. More information on the case can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/ pr/bergen-county-new-jersey-man-charged-bribing- state-department-employee. Number of Visa Crime Investigations Opened Globally At home, the passport process is often the primary contact most U.S. citizens have with the Department of State. There are 29 domestic passport agencies and centers, and approximately 7,600 public and 600 Federal and military passport acceptance facilities. The Department designates many post offices, clerks of court, public libraries and other state, county, township, and municipal government offices to accept passport applications on its behalf. Overseas, in each Embassy, the Chief of Mission (usually an Ambassador) is responsible for executing U.S. foreign policy aims, as well as coordinating and managing all U.S. Government functions in the host country. The President appoints each Chief of Mission, who is then confirmed by the Senate. The Chief of Mission reports directly to the President through the Secretary of State. The U.S. Mission is also the primary U.S. Government point of contact for Americans overseas and foreign nationals of the host country. The Mission serves the needs of Americans traveling, working, and studying abroad, and supports Presidential and Congressional delegations visiting the country. Every diplomatic mission in the world operates under a security program designed and maintained by the Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). In the United States, DS inves- tigates passport and visa fraud, conducts personnel security investigations, and protects the Secretary of State and high- ranking foreign dignitaries and visiting officials. An “In Focus” view of our global visa fraud investigations is shown below. Additionally, the Department utilizes a wide variety of technology tools to further enhance its effectiveness and magnify its efficiency. Today, most offices increasingly rely on digital video conferences, virtual presence posts, and websites to support their missions. The Department also leverages social networking Web tools to engage in dialogue with a broader audience. See the inside back cover for Department websites of interest. O ur W ork at H ome and O verseas 2019 A gency F inancial R eport U nited S tates D epartment of S tate | 11 ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS