The service members are currently confined to their quarters in Cartagena.
In the statement, Gen. Douglas Fraser, commander of USSOUTHCOM, said he is “disappointed by the entire incident and that this behavior is not in keeping with the professional standards expected of members of the United States military.”
Argument About the Bill Alerted Hotel Authorities to Secret Service and Prostitutes Cavorting, WH Official Says
(ABC News) — A senior administration official briefed on the accusations against the Secret Service agents pulled from duty in Colombia tells ABC News that a heated argument between at least one of the alleged prostitutes and at least one of the Secret Service agents first alerted authorities of the Hotel Caribe in Cartagena to the cavorting between Secret Service agents and prostitutes.
The argument was a dispute over the bill for services rendered, the administration official said.
Hotel Caribe authorities went to investigate the ruckus and learned that there had been some activity between Secret Service agents and prostitutes, the senior administration official said.
Hotel authorities then went down to the reception desk to see who else of the American guests may have signed in female guests — call girls — for the evening.
Initially, this official said, that inspection led the hotel authorities to have questions about 22 Americans — 17 Secret Service agents and five special operations soldiers who were there to assist the Secret Service. Their names were reported to the lead U.S. military official on the ground.
That is not to say that all 22 men had hired prostitutes, the administration official underlined. Some of those about whom the hotel raised questions may merely have been attending a party and violating curfew. Eleven Secret Service agents have been sent back to the United States. The five U.S. special forces members remain in Colombia, per the request of the Secret Service.
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UPDATE: Secret Service Agents Sent Home For Misconduct Allegations Involving Prostitution
Obama is currently in Colombia for the Summit of the Americas, but about a dozen U.S. Secret Service agents will not be there. They were sent home after allegations surfaced involving drinking and prostitution. Fox News correspondent Wendell Goler reported live from Cartagena, Colombia with more details on this latest scandal.
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Wild Thing’s comment…….
Wait now, tick tock tick tock….. ( just wating to see how long it will take till Obama blames Bush for this happening.)
Looks like some guys were really practicing the art of stupidity. There go top secret clearances, there go careers.
Headline in the paper today states,”Obama angry if allegations true.”
Typical lawyer response. Why wouldn’t they be true? What axe does the local police department have to grind?
Maybe he’s angry because he wasn’t included in all the fun.
The whole thing is ridiculous. I read somewhere else that it was all about what amounted to $47.