External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travel about 670 km via road for his high-level meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York last November. The extraordinary drive – from Canada to New York – occurred after a US government shutdown grounded commercial flights nationwide, leaving few options for long-distance travel.
With officials unable to reschedule the meeting at the UN headquarters in New York City, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), a part of the US State Department which oversees the security of diplomats and visiting foreign officials, opted for a road contingency plan to keep Jaishankar’s diplomatic schedule on track.
Jaishankar was in Canada for the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting on November 11-12.
DSS on Jaishankar’s visit
In a report released by the department earlier this week, DSS labelled the move of transporting Jaishankar – which included a bomb detection scare and nearly seven-hour road journey amid harsh winter conditions – a “mission-defining challenge”. The department said it put in a “bold contingency plan” for his protection and security.
How was EAM protected? Jaishankar’s turbulent trip to NYC
According to a report by the US Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made public in early January, Jaishankar was received by security agents at the Lewiston–Queenston Bridge on the US-Canada border and driven through upstate New York to Manhattan.
As per the US, the State Department said that, at one point, a sheriff’s office explosive detection dog alerted the Indian minister’s armoured vehicle during a team handoff. Agents responded to the dog’s alert promptly and secured the area and called in local technicians.
After an inspection, the vehicle was cleared and the motorcade resumed following strict protocol with no shortcuts or assumptions.
The route posed operational challenges, including winter weather conditions and limited visibility in parts of the journey. Agents rotated drivers to manage fatigue and maintained security throughout, ensuring that the minister arrived on time for the high-level meeting.
The nearly seven-hour journey involved 27 DSS agents from various field offices, working in coordination with India’s United Nations mission and Canadian authorities including the Canadian Mounties (Canada’s police force) for the cross-border handover.
Upon reaching New York City, one DSS agent also aided a hit-and-run victim en route to the meeting, underscoring the complex nature of the mission. The episode highlights how unexpected domestic disruptions such as a federal shutdown can have far-reaching implications for international engagements.