The Secret Service's dual mission is its key strength

Some pundits and former Secret Service agents have recently claimed that the agency’s dual mission of protection and investigation overburdens its operations, overlooking the vital synergy between these responsibilities. This perspective fundamentally misrepresents how the Secret Service operates today.

Rather than being a weakness, the investigative mission is a core strength that directly enhances the agency’s ability to fulfill its protective duties, enabling it to address increasingly complex and evolving threats.

Ironically, many of these critics left the Secret Service years ago, often well before reaching retirement eligibility. In some cases, their departures stemmed from a desire to avoid the very protective assignments they now argue should be the agency’s sole focus. Additionally, many have been removed from the agency for a decade or more and are unaware of the significant advances in its investigative mission over the past several years.

For example, the agency’s Critical Systems Protection efforts now enable agents with deep cyber expertise to prevent and respond to cyberattacks targeting protectees or the locations they visit. Investigations into doxing, swatting and other cyber-enabled harassment have become essential to safeguarding protectees in a digital-first world.

Eliminating the investigative mission would not only harm protective capabilities but also critically undermine the agency's ability to recruit and retain talented personnel. Agents join the Secret Service not just to protect, but to engage in meaningful law enforcement work as 1811 criminal investigators.

Investigations teach agents how to conduct interviews effectively, analyze threats and read people — skills that are directly transferable to protection. Stripping away this role would push qualified applicants toward agencies like the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations or the Drug Enforcement Agency, which offer broader investigative opportunities.

Moreover, the Secret Service already faces significant retention challenges due to pay caps, grueling schedules and the physical and emotional toll of protection work. Removing the investigative component would exacerbate these issues, leading to an exodus of experienced agents and analysts, critically weakening the agency’s operational capacity.

In my 25 years with the Secret Service, I never once heard of agents leaving because they felt they were doing too many investigations and wanted more protection assignments. Nor have I ever seen an instance where a criminal investigation interfered with a protection detail. These claims are simply unfounded.

The Secret Service’s investigative mission dates back 159 years and is the foundation that keeps it rooted in the law enforcement community. Body-guarding alone is not law enforcement; the Secret Service relies on its federal, state and local law enforcement partners to effectively execute its protective mission.

Through its 43 cyber fraud task forces around the globe, staffed with local and state law enforcement officers, the agency combats complex cyber-enabled fraud — fraud that cost U.S. consumers over $12 billion in 2023, a staggering increase from $4 billion in 2017. This 700 percent rise underscores the urgency of maintaining the Secret Service’s investigative capacity.

The Secret Service has also proven its value by training over 5,000 state and local law enforcement officers annually at the National Cyber Forensics Institute, equipping them to handle cyber and crypto-related investigations. During the pandemic alone, the agency recovered over $2 billion in stolen funds, a testament to its unparalleled expertise in tackling large-scale financial fraud.

Its history of combating cyber-enabled crime includes dismantling some of the most significant criminal operations of the past 25 years, including high-profile breaches involving Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx and Experian.

The agency's Global Investigative Operations Center and Cyber Intelligence Section lead the charge against complex cyber fraud. They have played pivotal roles in cases such as the takedowns of AlphV and Hive ransomware infrastructures. While other agencies often receive credit for these operations, the Secret Service's investigative groundwork is indispensable.

Additionally, the Secret Service helped identify the perpetrator behind the 2020 Twitter hack — a case involving breaches of high-profile protectees’ accounts — due to its investigative expertise in unrelated crypto seizures.

The investigative mission also directly supports the Secret Service’s protective duties. Investigations into emailed bomb threats to the Democratic National Committee, leaks of President Biden’s family data on darknet forums, and even websites soliciting crypto donations to assassinate President-elect Trump are just a few examples of the overlap between missions. Contrary to claims that investigations interfere with protection, agents prioritize protective assignments without hesitation, proving the missions are complementary, not competitive.

Beyond recruitment and retention, the investigative mission is vital for addressing the evolving landscape of financial and cybercrime. Fraud losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center surged from $1.4 billion in 2017 to over $12.5 billion in 2023. This exponential growth reflects the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals and highlights the need for robust enforcement mechanisms.

The Secret Service’s investigative capabilities are not just reactive — they are proactive, preventing large-scale financial harm by dismantling criminal networks before they can cause widespread damage.

And the Secret Service’s dual mission is not outdated; it is a strategic asset. The agency provides unique skills such as threat assessment, cyber forensics and intelligence analysis, which directly enhance its protective capabilities. Investigative efforts into ransomware networks and cyber breaches contribute to a safer environment for protectees while addressing global security challenges.

Severing the investigative mission would not only weaken the Secret Service but destabilize its broader law enforcement partnerships. The agency’s collaboration with federal, state and local partners, as well as its leadership in cyber task forces, underscores its integral role in national and global security. Policymakers should focus on bolstering the Secret Service’s resources, not dismantling the very structure that ensures its effectiveness.

The Secret Service's dual mission of investigation and protection is a hallmark of its success and a cornerstone of national security. Eliminating one half of this mission would not only erode its capabilities but also jeopardize its ability to attract and retain the talent needed to face the increasingly complex challenges of the modern era. Far from being a burden, this dual mission is what makes the Secret Service indispensable.

Matt O’Neill, a retired Deputy Special Agent in Charge-Cyber Operations with the U.S. Secret Service, served for more than two decades in protective and investigative roles, focusing on financial and cybercrimes. He played a key role in dismantling criminal networks and safeguarding financial infrastructure.

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