The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and more than 150 offices throughout the United States and abroad. Established in 1865 solely to suppress the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, today the Secret Service is mandated by Congress to carry out the integrated missions of protection and investigations. On March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security. Recognized for its central role in the protection of the nation’s leaders and the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States, the Secret Service contributes to the Department of Homeland Security’s common mission of protecting the American people from harm.