Paul R. Houston
A 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
August 22, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Personal details
Born
Paul R. Houston

Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
CitizenshipUnited States of America
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BA)
University of Kentucky (MS)
ProfessionSpecial 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 and the U.S. Department of State for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for Threat Investigations and Analysis (TIA).[1][2] 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.[3] As a member of the Advisory team, he lead 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.[1]

Paul Houston conducts investigations at the Rewards for Justice Program (RFJ). RFJ is the interagency rewards program created by the U.S. State Department in 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism that offers money as incentive for information of the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).[4] RFJ is a fusion intelligence center that is focused primary on tracking terrorist movements and activities. The Rewards for Justice Program had previously offered a reward for information of a terrorist organization that called themselves the Al-Qaeda[5] who were responsible for the collapse of the World Trade Center. Rewards for Justice Program was then contacted by a person whose identity is anonymous that told the agency the location of the leader of Al-Qaeda. Rewards for Justice received information. On 2 May 2011 at 3:33 AM, the leader of the terrorist group called Al-Qaeda was killed by the U.S. special operation forces.[6]

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.[1]

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.[3]

In November, 2022, Paul Houston held the Foreign Press Centers (FPC) Briefing in Washington D.C. to discuss the Rewards for Justice Program's countermeasures in disrupting financial mechanisms that support the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).[7]

In January 2023, Paul R. Houston made an appearance for the Rewards for Justice program to make an announcement to the public offering a reward up to $10 million in rewards for the information leading to the location of the Al-Shaabab terrorists responsible for attack on the U.S. military base who murdered two American U.S. army soldiers and killed a contractor on January 5, 2020.[8][9]

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. Houston was nominated and received the Senior Foreign Service (SFS) award approved by the President, Joe Biden 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.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Paul R. Houston". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  2. ↑ "Leadership – Bureau of Diplomatic Security". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  3. 1 2 "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. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  4. ↑ "Rewards for Justice". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Offers $1 Million Reward in Hunt for Osama bin Laden's Son". Time. 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  6. ↑ "The Final Chapter in the Hunt for Bin Ladin - CIA". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  7. ↑ "Rewards for Justice: Disrupting financial mechanisms that support the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)". United States Department of State. 2022-11-03. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ "Rewards for Justice – reward offers for information on key leaders of al-Shabaab". www.africom.mil. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  10. ↑ "FY 2023 Presidential Rank Awards for the Senior Executive Service and Foreign Service". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
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