Some members of Billionaire ‘s personal security team were granted federal agent status last year, despite many reportedly not meeting the usual training and experience standards, NBC reported Monday (local time), citing government emails.
The recently disclosed government emails have revealed how the US Marshals Service handled Musk’s security team during his five-month role in Donald Trump’s second administration. According to the documents, in February 2025, the agency authorised a White House request to deputise Musk’s bodyguards, allowing them to carry weapons in certain federal buildings and to continue providing him protection.
Tesla owner and the world’s richest person, Elon , served as a senior advisor to Trump and was the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (). He served at the department from January to May last year.
US Marshals Service releases emails
The US Marshals Service released the documents and emails that came in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Democracy Forward, a progressive organisation examining Elon Musk’s time in the administration. After suing last year to obtain the documents, the group later provided them to NBC News.
Emails revealed that the agency first began exploring deputising Musk’s security team back in February, since he was deeply involved in efforts to scale back federal agencies such as the US Agency for International Development.
However, there was a hiccup: Musk’s security team did not fully meet the agency’s standards for deputisation as federal law enforcement officers. According to an email dated 10 February, some members of his team required special waivers because they had not finished a formal basic law enforcement training program or lacked at least one year of experience with an agency authorised to make arrests. On 13 February, the Marshals Service’s associate director for operations, Rich Kelly, approved the request and authorised waivers for his team, granting Musk’s bodyguards an exception to the prescribed eligibility requirements.
Marshals Service’s use of special deputations under scrutiny
According to the report, the agency’s use of special deputations has already been under scrutiny. In a September 2024 audit report, the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s inspector general found that the agency had deputised several ineligible individuals and others for questionable purposes.
Musk’s response to his security
In February 2025, during an onstage interview, Musk was questioned about his security at the Conservative Political Action Conference, to which he said that his security staff should be even bigger.
Additionally, it remains unclear if and when the agency ended Musk’s special deputation. However, the documents indicate that the deputation, which was officially granted in the second week of February last year, was scheduled to last for two years.
Musk’s tenure at DOGE
The emails, according to the report, provide a sneak peek into behind-the-scenes discussions that happened as Musk and his staff took over parts of the federal government. In February 2025, the billionaire waged a campaign to reduce government spending that he disapproved of. This included efforts to reduce agencies wholesale without congressional approval, although DOGE ultimately failed to curtail overall spending levels.
Musk’s five-month tenure at DOGE was strongly criticised by labour unions, government employees, and Democrats for bypassing laws and regulations. Last May, a federal judge ruled that DOGE’s takeover of the US Institute of Peace was unlawful.
