The Off The X Podcast

Follow The Off The X Podcast
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Host Cody Perron, a former Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent, and Marine Veteran interviews current and former members of the DSS, security contractors, military veterans, and others about their time conducting investigations, security, and protective operations around the globe.

Cody Perron


    • Jun 13, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 52m AVG DURATION
    • 23 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from The Off The X Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from The Off The X Podcast

    Fred Burton - New York Times Best Selling Author and former Diplomatic Security Special Agent

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2023 112:00


    Listen in as NYT Best Selling Author and former Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent Fred Burton discusses his role in the DS Counterterrorism Division (currently known as PII) investigating some of the most high profile cases including the investigations of the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing - Ramzi Yousef, the kidnapping of Beirut CIA Station Chief William Buckley, Americans kidnapped by Hezbollah and more!

    Robert David Booth - Retired Supervisory DSS Special Agent and Author

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 115:51


    Tune in as I have a detailed discussion about the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Counterintelligence (CI) Unit with Robert Booth. Robert is the author of the book: State Department Counterintelligence - Leaks, Spies and Lies. Robert served nearly 30 years with the DSS and was heavily focused on CI. He played a role in major CI cases including the investigation into Robert Hanssen, Kendall Meyers, and Donald Keyser.  Check out this episode and please give a like, rating and share if you enjoyed it!

    Diplomatic Security Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Warrener

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 144:28


    Tune in to the next episode of the Off The X Podcast where I have a conversation with DSS Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Warrener. Kevin served at NYFO, U.S. Embassy Manama, Bahrain, Counterintelligence Branch, as Site Security for the U.S. Mission to China, at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bangkok and at High Threat Protection unit.

    china mission bangkok bahrain special agents supervisory special agent diplomatic security
    Jim Minor, Retired DSS Supervisory Special Agent and VP for Retirees of the DSSSAA

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2022 139:59


    Listen in as I speak to retired DSS Special Agent Jim Minor about his time serving as a DS Special Agent. In this episode Jim takes us through his career and his role in a number of critical and historical events. This includes his time serving in Mogadishu, Somalia, investigating Ramzi Yousef, the East Africa Bombings of our US Embassies, USS Cole, 9/11, Boston Marathon Bomber and Benghazi. 

    Rob Young, Police Sergeant of Stockton Unified School District and Active Shooter Survivor

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2022 88:38


    Listen in to this SPECIAL EDITION of the Off The X Podcast where I speak to Rob Young. Rob is a Police Sergeant in the Stockton Unified School District where in 1989 at Cleveland Elementary he was a victim in one of the first ever Active Shooter events in a school. Rob survived and thrived and has made it his life's mission to keep our children safe in school. Tune in to his amazing story on the Off The X Podcast. 

    Jason Kyle - United States Marine Embassy Guard and Combat Infantry Veteran

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 123:34


    Listen in as I discuss Jason's time as a MSG at U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia and Bogota, Colombia. In this episode, we go over MSG training, duties and responsibilities, lifestyle, and the uniqueness of serving at U.S. Embassy Moscow! If you're an aspiring DS Agent this one is a must listen. 

    Jason Kyle - former United States Marine Embassy Guard and Infantryman

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2022 123:41


    Listen in as former United States Marine Staff Sergeant Jason Kyle and I discuss the training, mission, and lifestyle of the United States Marine that serve at U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world. We talk about everything from Clayton Lonetree, the training it takes to work at a Designated Country (DC) Post, and how Marine Security Guards view the civilians that operationally lead them; Diplomatic Security Special Agents. 

    Chris Kopeck, Special Agent - Diplomatic Security Service

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2022 103:37


    Join me as I chat with Special Agent Chris Kopeck about his two decades in the Diplomatic Security Service serving in the New York Field Office, U.S. Embassy Muscat Oman, Resident Office St. Louis and at multiple TDY assignments.

    special agents security services kopeck tdy diplomatic security service new york field office
    DSS Special Agent Kevin Williams

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022 129:22


    Join me on the podcast as I welcome Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent Kevin Williams. Kevin's worldwide globetrotting has taken him to the New York Field Office, US Embassies Addis Ababa, Johannesberg, Phnom Penh and Columbus, South Carolina. He's protected US athletes at the World Cup, supported presidential visits for high profile events in high threat environments, and went toe-to-toe with a babboon! 

    Stephen Silva, Author & Retired Diplomatic Security Service Supervisory Special Agent

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 115:32


    Listen in as retired DSS Supervisory Special Agent and Author of Afghans Never Smile - Reflections of a DSS Agent from Both Sides of the Durand Line, Steve Silva, discusses his time in Peshawar Pakistan, Bagram, Afghanistan, working at the Joint Terrorism Task Force and more. 

    afghanistan retired both sides security services bagram airfield supervisory special agent joint terrorism task force diplomatic security service
    DSS Supervisory Special Agent Kala Bokelman - Head of Diplomatic Security Service Recruitment

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 84:20


    DSS Supervisory Special Agent Kala Bokelman tells us about her career, delivers information and instruction about the 2022 Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent Vacancy Announcement. 

    head recruitment security services supervisory special agent diplomatic security service
    Special Agent Adrian Diaz of the Diplomatic Security Service

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 148:11


    Listen in as active duty Special Agent Adrian Diaz of the Diplomatic Security Service shares the stories of his 17 years of service at assignments across the globe including Monrovia Liberia, Tallil Iraq, Sao Paolo Brazil, MSD, ATA and others.  Sponsored By: Liberty RisQ Apparel (www.libertyrisq.com) - We Go Above and Beyond. 

    diaz special agents ata msd security services diplomatic security service sao paolo brazil
    Matt Miller - former Medic for the DS Worldwide Protective Services, Army Medic and Bronze Star Recipient

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2021 120:02


    Join Matt "Doc" Miller and I as we discuss his time as a former Diplomatic Security Worldwide Protective Services (WPS) Medic serving in Baghdad and Erbil. Matt is also a former Army Medic completing over 450 MEDEVAC missions in Iraq, earning the Bronze Star for his actions. 

    Jeff Carlson - former Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 152:47


    Listen in to Jeff Carlson and I as we discuss his first-ever interaction with a president of the United States, his time serving as a Diplomatic Security Special Agent in Tripoli, his close relationships with the DSS Special Agents serving in Benghazi during the attack, and his work in Counter-Intelligence at US Embassy Kabul. 

    Tony Beltran - former Blackwater, Triple Canopy and US Marine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 100:34


    Tony Beltran, former Blackwater, Triple Canopy, and US Marine lived and breathed High Threat Protective (HTP) Operations in Iraq from 2005-2017. Join us as he talks about the early days of Blackwater, working alongside DSS Special Agents, and his response to protect the U.S. Consulate in Erbil during the 2015 ISIS attack. 

    Matt Rawls - former Security Contractor and Recon Marine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 76:51


    Listen to Matt Rawls, aka Sleepy, a former Security Contractor and Force Reconnaissance Marine as he discusses his time working as a security contractor in Jerusalem, Basrah, Tallil, and Baghdad. 

    U.S. State Department Officials Discuss the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) and Foreign Affairs Counter Threat Course

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2020 84:33


    Join me as I discuss the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) and the Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) course with Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Supervisory Special Agent Steve Strickland, Special Agent Maria Amaya, and FACT Operations Manager Rusty Pugh. In this episode we discuss exactly what the DSS is doing to keep it's diplomats safe in overseas environments. 

    Special Agent Julie Cabus discusses her decades of experience in the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2020 118:23


    Tune in as Diplomatic Security Special Agent Julie Cabus, a member of the Senior Foreign Service, discusses her career at multiple diplomatic assignments on the continent of Africa, within Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and several domestic assignments. Julie is the first active-duty special agent and the first female agent on the Off The X Podcast.

    Bill McCarthy - retired Diplomatic Security (DS) Special Agent

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2020 58:50


    Join Billy Mac and I as we discuss his time as a Diplomatic Security Special Agent serving in Cairo, Niamey, Kinshasa, DS Training Center, Baghdad, Gaborone, DS R&D, and Abidjan. 

    Joe Desmarais - Former Diplomatic Security Special Agent and Marine Security Guard

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 120:47


    Join Joe as he discusses his time conducting security operations globally as a Marine Security Guard and Diplomatic Security Special Agent in the Miami Field Office, Criminal Investigative Liaison Branch, US Embassy Baghdad, US Embassy Rome, US Consulate Nuevo Laredo, US Embassy Colombo and the DS San Francisco Field Office. 

    special agents security guards desmarais diplomatic security marine security guard
    Matthew Kovats - Former Diplomatic Security Special Agent and Marine Security Guard

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 100:21


    Join Matthew "Matt" Kovats as he discusses his time as a Marine Security Guard and a Diplomatic Security Special Agent. Matt talks about his time working in Benghazi, Libya, US Embassy Baghdad, Iraq, the Chicago Field Office, Diplomatic Security Headquarters and US Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan.

    afghanistan iraq libya benghazi special agents security guards diplomatic security marine security guard
    Michael Perkins - Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent (ret.)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2020 133:55


    Join Special Agent Michael Perkins as he discusses his 27 years serving as a Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent. In this episode he discusses his time protecting Princess Diana, protecting US Embassy personnel in the midst of the Sri Lankan civil war, and leading the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) - San Salvador, among other things. Michael's assignments include the DSS Washington Field Office, U.S. Secretary of State Protection Detail, US Embassy Guatemala City, Mobile Security Deployments, US Embassy Lusaka, US Embassy Lima, US Embassy Colombo, ILEA San Salvador and the DS Houston Field Office.

    John Fluker - Former Diplomatic Security Special Agent

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2020 82:22


    From responding to the Marriott bombings in Islamabad, Pakistan to the protection of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, one year before the attack on Benghazi, John Fluker discusses his 12 years serving as a Special Agent in the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service. Assignments: New York Field Office, Mobile Security Deployments, US Embassy Islamabad Pakistan, Office of Professional Responsibility, Houston Field Office, US Embassy Lima Peru and International Programs.

    Claim The Off The X Podcast

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel