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Obama's security detail in trouble over Colombia prostitute scandal
THE US Secret Service is investigating allegations of misconduct by agents who had been sent to Cartagena, Colombia, to provide security for President Barack Obama's trip to a regional summit.
Edwin Donovan, an agency spokesman, said an unspecified number of agents had been recalled and replaced with others, stressing that Mr Obama's security had not been compromised because of the change.
Mr Obama arrived in Cartagena yesterday for this weekend's Summit of the Americas, a gathering of 33 of the hemisphere's 35 leaders to discuss economic policy and trade.
Mr Donovan declined to disclose details about the alleged misconduct. Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said the accusations relate to at least one agent having involvement with prostitutes in Cartagena.
Mr Donovan said the matter had been turned over to the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility, which serves as the agency's internal affairs unit.
''The Secret Service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously,'' Mr Donovan said. ''These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the President's trip.''
Mr Adler said the entire unit was recalled for the purposes of the investigation. The Secret Service ''responded appropriately'' and was ''looking at a very serious allegation'', he said, adding that the agency ''needs to properly investigate and fairly ascertain the merits of the allegations''.
The Washington Post was alerted to the investigation by Ronald Kessler, a former Post reporter and author of several non-fiction books, including In the President's Secret Service.
Kessler said he was told that a dozen agents had been removed from the trip.
He added that soliciting prostitution was considered inappropriate by the Secret Service, even though it is legal in Colombia when conducted in designated ''tolerance zones''. However, Kessler added, several of the agents are married.
There have been other incidents involving Mr Obama's security detail over the past year.
In November, Christopher Deedy, a federal agent with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, was charged with second-degree murder after shooting a man during a dispute outside a McDonald's in Honolulu. Though Deedy was off duty at the time, he was on the island to provide security arrangements for Mr Obama's trip to an economic summit.
In August, Daniel Valencia, a Secret Service agent, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Decorah, Iowa, where he was helping arrange security for Mr Obama's bus trip through three midwestern states. Mr Valencia, who was off duty at the time of the arrest, was recently sentenced to two days in jail with credit for time served, and a fine of $US1250.
Read more: Obama's security detail in trouble over Colombia prostitute scandal
THE US Secret Service is investigating allegations of misconduct by agents who had been sent to Cartagena, Colombia, to provide security for President Barack Obama's trip to a regional summit.
Edwin Donovan, an agency spokesman, said an unspecified number of agents had been recalled and replaced with others, stressing that Mr Obama's security had not been compromised because of the change.
Mr Obama arrived in Cartagena yesterday for this weekend's Summit of the Americas, a gathering of 33 of the hemisphere's 35 leaders to discuss economic policy and trade.
Mr Donovan declined to disclose details about the alleged misconduct. Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said the accusations relate to at least one agent having involvement with prostitutes in Cartagena.
Mr Donovan said the matter had been turned over to the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility, which serves as the agency's internal affairs unit.
''The Secret Service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously,'' Mr Donovan said. ''These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the President's trip.''
Mr Adler said the entire unit was recalled for the purposes of the investigation. The Secret Service ''responded appropriately'' and was ''looking at a very serious allegation'', he said, adding that the agency ''needs to properly investigate and fairly ascertain the merits of the allegations''.
The Washington Post was alerted to the investigation by Ronald Kessler, a former Post reporter and author of several non-fiction books, including In the President's Secret Service.
Kessler said he was told that a dozen agents had been removed from the trip.
He added that soliciting prostitution was considered inappropriate by the Secret Service, even though it is legal in Colombia when conducted in designated ''tolerance zones''. However, Kessler added, several of the agents are married.
There have been other incidents involving Mr Obama's security detail over the past year.
In November, Christopher Deedy, a federal agent with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, was charged with second-degree murder after shooting a man during a dispute outside a McDonald's in Honolulu. Though Deedy was off duty at the time, he was on the island to provide security arrangements for Mr Obama's trip to an economic summit.
In August, Daniel Valencia, a Secret Service agent, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Decorah, Iowa, where he was helping arrange security for Mr Obama's bus trip through three midwestern states. Mr Valencia, who was off duty at the time of the arrest, was recently sentenced to two days in jail with credit for time served, and a fine of $US1250.
Read more: Obama's security detail in trouble over Colombia prostitute scandal
