The DSS is the lead U.S. law enforcement organization abroad and the most widely deployed in the world, protecting 275 U.S. diplomatic missions in over 170 countries and 29 U.S. cities. DSS special agents are unique in the U.S. for being both Foreign Service members and federal law enforcement officers with investigatory and arresting powers. Originating from diplomatic security measures enacted during the First World War, the agency was formally established in 1985 following the deadly 1983 bombings of the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.