Foreign Travel Brief

Foreign Arrest and Detention

Maintaining A Low Profile

• Attempt to blend in with your surroundings
• Conceal material wealth
• Exchange your money into the local currency
• Drive an inconspicuous vehicle
• Only share information about your personal life and security efforts to trusted friends and security personnel

Questions?

Hotel Safety Tips

Terrorist Tactics

Maintaining A Low Profile

Terrorist Tactics

Terrorist tactics include, but are not limited to:

• Bombing
• Kidnapping
• Hostage-taking
• Hijacking
• Assassinations
• Arson
• Robbery
• Extortion
• Biological and chemical attacks

Hotel Safety Tips

Terrorist Threat

Personal Safety

Summary

Acts of terror happen around the world.

There are steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of being victim to terrorist activity.

In this section, you will learn about:

• Terrorist tactics

• Only patronize reputable hotels
• Note escape routes
• Secure your door and keep windows locked
• When away from your room, keep the television or radio on
• Be aware that some countries require you to leave your passport with hotel reception over night so it may be checked by local authorities
• DO NOT stay in hotel rooms that are located on the first floor or easily accessible from the outside
• DO NOT accept deliveries unless previously arranged

New surroundings and exotic destinations may lead you into a false sense of security.

Whether you are traveling for work or leisure, your personal safety is paramount.

In this section, you will learn about:

• Maintaining a low profile
• Hotel safety tips
• Travel safety tips

• Research your destination thoroughly before your trip
• Have hard copies of your itinerary, important phone numbers, and hotel addresses
• Keep sensitive items on you when traveling and double check to make sure you have everything when leaving a car, train, or bus
• Don't trust people too quickly
• Watch your drinking
• Blend in as much as you can
• Check in regularly with family or friends back home
• Be Respectful and have an open mind
• Have fun!

Agenda

Personal Safety

• Vulnerability Awareness
• Personal Safety
• Terrorist Threats
• Assistance Contacts
• Before You Go

Assistance Contacts

Travel Safety Tips

Terrorist Threat

Local Laws

Travel Safety Tips

Vulnerability Awareness

While traveling, remember that you are subject to the local laws. Do not make assumptions about what is acceptable.

When traveling abroad:

• Be aware of local laws
• Be Respectful of local landmarks
• DO NOT photograph government facilities or religious symbols as it is prohibited in many countries
• DO NOT take photographs in the vicinity of foreign military bases, buildings, or personnel

Assistance Contacts

• Always remain alert and maintain a cautious attitude
• Don’t wear clothing that immediately identifies you as an American
• Whenever possible, travel in groups
• Choose your own taxi
• Avoid isolated roads, danger areas, civil disturbances, and crowds
• Be alert to anyone who appears to be following you
• Have a working knowledge of the local language

Summary

Foreign Arrest and Detention

Even with the best preparations, things can go wrong.

Know where to seek assistance should an emergency occur.

In this section, you will learn about:

• U.S. Embassy and Consulate contacts
• Domestic contacts

Vulnerability Awareness

When traveling abroad, you must know how to protect yourself and safeguard your belongings.

In this section, you will learn about:

• How You May Be a Target
• Counterintelligence Awareness and Foreign Travel
• Identifying Suspicious Contacts
• Crime Targeting Foreign Travelers
• Foreign Arrest and Detention
• Local Laws

Foreign police and intelligence agencies detain persons for many reasons, including simple curiosity.

If you are detained or arrested for any reason:

• Exercise good judgment and be professional in your demeanor
• Stay calm, maintain your dignity, and do not do anything to provoke the arresting officer
• Ask to contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate
• DO NOT admit to anything or volunteer any information
• DO NOT sign anything until the document is examined by an attorney or an embassy/consulate representative
• DO NOT accept anyone at face value: Request identification from embassy/consulate representatives
• DO NOT fall for the ruse of helping the ones who are detaining you in return for your release

Before You Go

Foreign Travel and Crime

U.S. Embassy

and

Consulate Contacts

Crime is one of the biggest threats facing travelers. Crimes against travelers are crimes of opportunity.

Follow these steps to protect yourself:

• Stay alert and exercise good judgment
• When possible, ensure that your hotel room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock or a chain-and-slide bolt
• If you travel with valuables, put them in the hotel safe
• Find out what parts of town locals consider risky and avoid them
• Keep your car doors locked and suitcases out of sight
• Minimize the amount of cash you carry
• Be wary of street vendors and innocent-looking youngsters as they may be decoys for pick pockets

Your preparations will depend upon your destination and the trip’s length and purpose.

Before you go:

• Inform others of your itinerary
• Know the local laws and customs
• Register your travel with the Department of State
• Check health and immunization information with Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization
• Keep all medications in their original container
• Make copies of your passport and other important documents
• Download helpful travel apps on your devices

How You May Be a Target: What You Know

U.S. Embassy and Consulate contacts

Foreign Travel and Crime

What To Do If Approached

In an emergency, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate or call these numbers:

From the U.S. & Canada From Overseas

1-888-407-4747 +1 202-501-4444

U.S. Department of State information:

• http://travel.state.gov/
• Download their app Smart Traveler
• Informs you about breaking news happening in the country you are currently located in
• https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck

How You May Be A Target: What you Know

If you feel you are being solicited for information:

• Practice authorized responses to questions concerning your duties
• Never feel obligated to answer questions which make you feel uncomfortable
• If a conversation is too probing with respect to your duties, private life, and co-workers, change the subject
• Be observant and take note of the person questioning you
• Maintain professional composure
• REPORT, REPORT, REPORT: Provide as much information as possible to your security point of contact

You may possess or have access to information that is highly sought after by foreign entities, including:

• Friendly information
• Research, development, testing, and evaluation
• Program milestones and specifications
• System capabilities

Foreign entities also target information related to your organization’s personnel, security, and operations.

You are the first line of defense in protecting classified information and defense technologies!

Domestic Contacts

What To Do If Approached

Before You Go

Domestic Contacts

List of contacts you may want to keep on your records:

• Company point of contact
• Security point of contact
• Department of State contact
• Passport information or replacement contact

In addition, make sure you have contacts for your:

• Financial institution
• Insurance company
• Family members

Counterintelligence Awareness

and

Foreign Travel

Identifying Suspicious Contacts

Examples of suspicious contacts include, but are not limited to:

• Foreign entities targeting personnel traveling overseas via airport screening or hotel room incursions
• Attempts to entice personnel into situations that could lead to blackmail or extortion
• Attempts by foreign customers to gain access to hardware and information that exceeds the limitations of the export licenses on file
• Attempts to place personnel under obligation through special treatment, favors, gifts, or money

Counterintelligence Awareness and Foreign Travel

Foreign travel increases the risk of foreign intelligence targeting.

Collection techniques include, but are not limited to:

• Intercepts of email and fax transmissions
• Tracking activity via ATM transactions and Internet usage at Internet kiosks and Wi-Fi access points
• Recording of telephone conversations
• Unauthorized access to or theft of electronic devices and installation of malicious software at customs or hotel
• Intrusion into or search of hotel rooms and hotel room safes
• Enhanced interviews by customs officials

Identifying Suspicious Contacts

Foreign Travel Brief

SGT Mauricio, Jomarie