Paul R. Houston
Paul R. Houston | |
|---|---|
Photography portrait of Paul R. Houston, 2022 | |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025[1] | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Assumed office August 22, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Paul R. Houston |
| Education | University of Iowa (BA) University of Kentucky (MS) |
| Profession | Special agent |
Paul R. Houston (born 1979) is an American federal law enforcement officer who serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of U.S. Department of State for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Threat Investigations and Analysis (TIA).[2][3]
Early life and education
Paul Houston received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Iowa. He holds an master's degree in National Security Policy and international economics from the University of Kentucky's School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.[2] On October 13, 2024, Paul Houston hosted a counterterrorism and threat Investigation educational briefing seminar at the Iowa University.[4][5]
Career
Paul Houston served in the United States Marines prior to his employment for the United States Department of State as a special agent and diplomat in the Diplomatic Security Service. Houston was a legislative assistant employed by U.S. House of Representatives Jim Leach.[6][7] During his career with the DSS, Houston served as the director of the DSS Office of Special Investigations conducting criminal and administrative investigations for the U.S. Department of State. Paul served as the deputy director of the Department of State (DS) Command Center.[7] As a member of the Advisory team, he led and participated in numerous projects in the public and private sections, involving conducting overseas criminal and administrative investigations, threat dissemination and crisis command and control.[8][2]
Paul Houston joins Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Kenya and the U.S. Embassy in Kenya to search for the key leader of Somalia-based Islamist movement militant group called Al-Shabaab. The leader named Mohamoud Abdi Aden who is wanted by federal authorities for bombing of the hotel complex in Nairobi that left 22 people dead.[9] During January 2023, Paul R. Houston made an appearance for the Rewards for Justice program to make an announcement for rewards for the information leading to the location of the Al-Shaabab terrorists responsible for terrorist attack on the United States military base who murdered two American U.S. Army soldiers and killed a contractor on January 5, 2020.[10][11]
In December 2023, the President of the United States of America announced the FY2023 Presidential Rank Awards (PRA) to 64 Senior Foreign Service (SFS) members of the State Department. Paul Houston was nominated and received the Senior Foreign Service (SFS) award approved by the President who had recognized his outstanding impact making in contributions to the U.S. Government in the field of foreign affairs, public diplomacy and international trade and development.[12]
See also
- Diplomatic Security Service
- Bureau of Diplomatic Security
- Rewards For Justice Program
- United States State Department
References
- ^ "Paul R. Houston Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and the Acting Director of the Diplomatic Security Service Bureau of Diplomatic Security". Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ a b c "Paul R. Houston". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Leadership – Bureau of Diplomatic Security". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ Staff, Iowa's News Now (2022-10-12). "Former aide to retired Iowa U.S. Rep. Jim Leach named as head of threat operations at U.S." KGAN. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ^ O'Connor-Walker, Mia. "State department official, UI alum Paul Houston visits the university". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
- ^ Staff, Iowa's News Now (2022-10-12). "Former aide to retired Iowa U.S. Rep. Jim Leach named as head of threat operations at U.S." KGAN. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
- ^ a b "Former aide to retired Iowa U.S. Rep. Jim Leach named as head of threat operations at U.S. Department of State". United States Department of State. 2023. Archived from the original on 2025-02-14. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Threat Investigations and Analysis: A Conversation About Diplomatic Security Careers | Lecture Series | Iowa State University". www.lectures.iastate.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
- ^ Somalia, U. S. Embassy (2025-05-07). "Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Those Responsible for 2020 Attack on Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya". U.S. Embassy in Somalia. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ AP (2020-01-05). "Al-Shabaab kills three Americans in attack on US military base in Kenya". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ "Rewards for Justice – reward offers for information on key leaders of al-Shabaab". www.africom.mil. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ "FY 2023 Presidential Rank Awards for the Senior Executive Service and Foreign Service". United States Department of State. 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2023-12-16.