L.W. KWAKOU CASSELLE
Endorsements
Dark Agent, the Memoirs of L.W. Kwakou Casselle: Global Service & Sacrifice
1
Gentry O. Smith, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
"Family, faith, and commitment resonate throughout this outstanding story. This author, whom I consider as a brother on one level, the perfect mentee on another hand, and a tremendous trailblazer on yet another, has done a marvelous job of detailing what it means to rise above it all and be your best self. If that is your goal, this treasure is for you."
2
Lindsey Pullam, PhD, Association Director, YMCA
"The blend of richly evocative description, raw emotional truth, and narrative suspense creates a book that is as artful as it is impactful. The author emerges not just as a storyteller, but as a voice of profound honesty and resilience. By weaving together memory and feeling with such intensity, the book lingers long after its final page. It is a reminder of the power of human perseverance."
3
Olivia Troye, Former White House Homeland Security & Counterterrorism Advisor
"L.W. Kwakou Casselle’s Dark Agent is a powerful memoir that brings readers inside a remarkable life of resilience and duty. I had the privilege of working alongside Kwakou “Q,” and the voice in these pages is the same one I knew in the field: steady, unflinching, and grounded in integrity. Dark Agent is not only an extraordinary personal story; it is also a testament to the courage, costs, and humanity behind America’s service abroad."
Former Military, DSS Agent & Author
L.W. KWAKOU CASSELLE was appointed to the State Department’s Senior Foreign Service by President Joseph R. Biden in 2024. He graduated from Hampton University and was commissioned as an Army infantry officer in 1998, serving as an active-duty officer in the 1st Cavalry Division on 9/11. He joined the State Department’s Foreign Service in 2003 as a federal agent with The Diplomatic Security Service where he served for twenty-two years before retiring in 2025. Casselle’s assignments included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s Protective Detail, overseas assignment to Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, and Belize. He is a 2021 graduate of Eisenhower School at National Defense University where he earned his master’s degree in National Security Strategy and Resources. He is the recipient of numerous State Department Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards. He was selected as the 2022 commencement speaker at his alma mater, Missouri Military Academy.
Lawrence is married to college sweetheart and fellow veteran Tameka, and they have two children, Benjamin IV and Alyssa.
Former Military, DSS Agent & Author
L.W. KWAKOU CASSELLE was appointed to the State Department’s Senior Foreign Service by President Joseph R. Biden in 2024. He graduated from Hampton University and was commissioned as an Army infantry officer in 1998, serving as an active-duty officer in the 1st Cavalry Division on 9/11. He joined the State Department’s Foreign Service in 2003 as a federal agent with The Diplomatic Security Service where he served for twenty-two years before retiring in 2025. Casselle’s assignments included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s Protective Detail, overseas assignment to Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, and Belize. He is a 2021 graduate of Eisenhower School at National Defense University where he earned his master’s degree in National Security Strategy and Resources. He is the recipient of numerous State Department Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards. He was selected as the 2022 commencement speaker at his alma mater, Missouri Military Academy.
Lawrence is married to college sweetheart and fellow veteran Tameka, and they have two children, Benjamin IV and Alyssa.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT DARK AGENT, THE MEMOIRS OF L.W. KWAKOU CASSELLE
"Dark Agent reads like a fiction thriller, but it is his own story of survival and achievement. Of family and sacrifice. Through his own journey and example, he demonstrates what true service entails. People like Lawrence and his family are needed to go into harm's way and serve. We should all be fortunate that now we can hear his story. "
Foreword by
Dr. Jeanette J. Epps, Astronaut, SpaceX Crew-8
"Family, faith, and commitment resonate throughout this outstanding story. This author, whom I consider as a brother on one level, the perfect mentee on another hand, and a tremendous trailblazer on yet another, has done a marvelous job of detailing what it means to rise above it all and be your best self. If that is your goal, this treasure is for you."
GENTRY O. SMITH, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
"L.W. Kwakou Casselle’s Dark Agent is a powerful memoir that brings readers inside a remarkable life of resilience and duty. Dark Agent is not only an extraordinary personal story; it is also a testament to the courage, costs, and humanity behind America’s service abroad."
Olivia Troye, Former White House Homeland Security & Counterterrorism Advisor
