Diplomatic courier

Couriers in the 1500s were generally assigned to a specific route, such as delivering messages from Paris to London to communicate across the English Channel.

[6] Other countries have abused the legal position of couriers for non-diplomatic reasons, such as in Russia to arrest the wife of a defecting official.

[14] As of 2022[update], American diplomatic couriers are also involved in logistical affairs,[1][15] from flight planning to resource management.

[16] Couriers are stationed around the world, acting as diplomatic liaisons and security guards for various operations,[15] for example aiding in moving supplies during the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.

The service's only incident involving an item that failed to reach its destination occurred in 1919, when a baby grand piano was lost during transit aboard the Orient Express.