Amy Jeffress, Chief
The mission of the National Security Section (NSS) is to investigate and prosecute criminal activity that threatens our nation's security. We are responsible for prosecuting international and domestic terrorism, espionage, export violations, and other criminal matters that have significant national security implications. We also have primary responsibility in the U.S. Attorney's Office for crisis response and management. The Section's focus on national security cases enables us to dedicate the efforts of experienced prosecutors to matters that the Department of Justice has designated as our top national priority and underscores our Office's commitment to give these cases the highest level of attention.
Our Office, through the National Security Section, performs a unique role in combating international terrorism. The District of Columbia is the proper venue for the prosecution of terrorist and other criminal acts committed outside the United States when the crime is committed by a person with no connection to another district. Accordingly, the NSS investigates and prosecutes violations of federal criminal statutes committed in foreign countries by foreign nationals. These violations include the murder of a U.S. national outside of the United States (18 U.S.C. § 2332), air piracy and destruction of aircraft (18 U.S.C. § 32), and hostage taking of U.S. nationals around the world (18 U.S.C. § 1203). Based on the extraterritorial venue provision, 18 U.S.C. § 3238, our district serves as a primary forum for the prosecution of international terrorism.
The National Security Section also handles violations of export control laws, including the Arms Export Control Act and the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations. These matters directly implicate our national security interests because they involve the illegal proliferation of military-related products and sensitive technology outside the United States. We have prosecuted export enforcement cases referred to us from law enforcement agencies around the country and have developed substantial expertise in this specialized and growing area. Most of these matters are properly filed in this district because the Department of State and the Department of Commerce, which have authority over export license requirements, are located in Washington, D.C.
Assistants in the National Security Section work closely with virtually all federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI's Washington Field Office, FBI field offices in Miami, Los Angeles, and Honolulu, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, and the Secret Service. We also coordinate our efforts with the Intelligence Community and our counterparts in international law enforcement. Finally, NSS attorneys often work on matters jointly with attorneys from the Department of Justice's Counterterrorism Section and Counterespionage Section.
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