When the FBI Comes Calling…®

General Directorate for External Security (Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure, DGSE) (France)

Founded:    1956

Mission:      As the primary French foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE operates both HUMINT and TECHINT responsibilities. It is divided into five directorates:

  1. Analysis
  2. Strategy
  3. TECHINT collection
  4. HUMINT collection (including covert paramilitary operations)
  5. Administrative services
Structure:    Located within the Ministry of Defense, the Director of the DGSE reports not only to the Minister of Defense but also to the President.

Historical Notes:    Reportedly, the DGSE and the German BND work concurrently on a joint satellite SIGINT project, from a satellite telecommunications intercept facility in Kourou, Guyana.