American Intelligence Scandal Overshadows Obama Trip

Prostitution scandal overshadows visit of U.S. President Barack Obama in South America, became known after an undercover agent refused to pay one of the women, it emerged this weekend.

American intelligence officers were prostitutes in a hotel in Cartagena, Colombia, before Obama arrived for a summit meeting of America. Eleven officers were sent home and placed on administrative leave and investigated the scandal.

On Saturday, the U.S. Defense Department said five soldiers remaining in the same hotel, were placed in their rooms after curfew violation, and "may have been involved in inappropriate behavior," U.S. Southern Command said in a written statement. "The conduct allegedly occurred in the same hotel where U.S. intelligence officials reminded were placed."

The scandal proved to be major embarrassment for the White House meeting, where Obama will discuss trade and economic cooperation with 32 other heads of state.

The president is under fire from critics at the meeting on the impact of U.S. monetary policy in the region and its relation to Cuba.

Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, told NBC on Sunday: "It was a mistake from start to finish If the facts are what they seem, it can not be tolerated.".

Prostitution is legal in Colombia, the designated "tolerance zones".

Local police were called to the hotel Caribe in Cartagena prestigious Bocagrande after a quarrel with a woman in a room of one of the agents.

According to media reports, the staff were drinking before the arrival of the president and the women taken to the hotel last night on Wednesday. In the morning the woman involved in the dispute "in shock" after she had not been paid, and hit the walls and doors in the corridors of the hotel.

The king, who was informed of the situation described the scene for a more relaxed Washington Post, which broke the story. He said that in accordance with the policy of the hotel, guests must leave at night and a photo ID at the front desk and leave the hotel at 7:00 the next morning.

According to King, the woman at the center of the dispute, not out of the hotel by 7:00. Hotel officials called the police when the officer refused to open his room.

The woman refused to leave until it was paid, the Agent denies that he owes money. The incident is reported, the U.S. Embassy, ​​and then referred to the Secret Service.

The agents were withdrawn and replaced before the arrival of Obama on the day of Friday.

King said the Washington Post, that "they were all violations of good conduct."

"First of all, contact with prostitutes in a foreign country can leave you vulnerable to blackmail and threats," said King. "To be, or nearly all prostitutes in a safe place where you have to protect the president is absolutely false."

Caribe is located less than 1000 meters from the Hilton Cartagena, where Obama left off.

The Secret Service assistant director Paul Morrissey said in a statement that the situation "does not have any impact on the ability of the Secret Service to carry out a comprehensive security plan for the visit of President of Cartagena."

"This incident does not reflect the behavior of our employees as they travel every day across the country and around the world performing their duties in a special, professional level," he said. "We regret any diversion of Summit America, it has led."

This incident is a major embarrassment to the U.S. Secret Service in 2009, when the two start a reality show stars invaded the state of Obama's first dinner at the White House and was photographed with the president.

Michelle Bachmann, former Republican presidential candidate, said: "Americans should be outraged." She told NBC Meet the Press that the White House "is clearly embarrassed by this."

Scandal of The Secret Service: Officers Conduct Carefully

The Secret Service, the Congress of researchers and soldiers will conduct a systematic review of the mission on charges of misconduct by the security detail assigned to the hotel to visit the Colombian President Obama.

Eleven Secret Service agents and five military service have been accused of cavorting with prostitutes and drinking too much at the Caribe in Cartagena.

Since adult prostitution is legal in Colombia, the designated "tolerance zones", the officials said that the investigation will focus less on moral or legal aspects of the conduct alleged, and that the military intelligence services and protocols are violated - and if the President's security could be compromised.

"If it happened that a threat to the agents themselves," House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King, RN.Y., told ABC News. "He left the [employee] open subjected to threats and blackmail in the future .... They were able to threaten or blackmail, to bring the other prostitutes in the area, which is a safe place. It just violates basic rules of conduct."

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California., Who heads the administration and the House Government Affairs, said Congress will also have the Secret Service as a whole, and to determine how often such a situation may arise before.

"In this case, the president may not be in danger, but the question is -. What happens if someone six months ago, six years ago was the victim of his own misconduct, and now blackmailed" Issa said persons CBS "nation."

"The question is, is the whole organization needs to self-analysis, some changes before the president, vice president, cabinet members are in danger?" Issa said.

Members of the Secret Service were interviewed on Saturday in Washington and was placed on administrative leave. If the allegations are true, they could face a reprimand and can be obtained.

The Ministry of Defence in the five local employees who were appointed to assist the Secret Service for their alleged involvement in improper conduct. They will return to the U.S. for interrogation at the end of the mission, officials said.

House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees the Secret Service has also begun an investigation.

The dispute between the at least one of the alleged prostitutes and at least one of the security services on Thursday warned the local authorities of alleged violations, according to ABC News officials.

One of the women spent the night with the staff not to leave the room until it was paid for his services. The hotel authorities are involved, then check to see who else has American guests may be signed by female customers - the alleged prostitute - in the evening, a senior Obama administration official told ABC News.

Originally, this test has led authorities to the hotel, there are questions about 22 Americans - 17 Secret Service agents and five special operations soldiers who were there to help the Secret Service, the official said. Their names were brought to the attention of an agent of the armed forces of the United States lead the field.

U.S. officials stress that some of those whose property had been raised a number of questions, perhaps, just was in the party and a violation of the curfew. But Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan made a hasty decision to remove all the details of duty and return them to Washington for questioning.

"I do not think that the Inspector Sullivan would still leave them if there is no evidence of prostitution," King said.

Sources familiar with the situation, also said that the accusations against the officers include excessive alcohol consumption.

The team included special agents, the department in the form and the two leaders, according to sources. Neither was appointed to the Presidential Protection Division.

"The nature of the charges, combined with zero tolerance for personal guilt led to the Secret Service takes drastic measures to reduce them to their destination, return to your desk and replace them with other agents of the Secret Service," the deputy director of intelligence said Paul C. Morrissey in a statement.

"These actions had no impact on the ability of the Secret Service to carry out a comprehensive security plan for the President's visit to Cartagena," he said.

Commander General Douglas Fraser, who heads the U.S. Southern Command, said he was "disappointed by the incident and that such conduct does not meet the professional standards expected of members of the United States Army."

He also promised a thorough investigation of the military, who may have been involved in the incident, and penalties, if any, in accordance with established policies and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said that Obama was informed of the charges, but said that "it would be inappropriate for the president to describe what is currently considered the Secret Service in that time."

Carney insists, however, that this incident was not fun for Obama, who takes part in a two-day Summit of the Americas with leaders of other Western Hemisphere.

The Secret Service last before the public embarrassment and control in November 2009, when several officers allowed two intruders on the basis of the White House for a dinner of the state and online photo with the president. The so-called "free rider" incident resulted in three officers before being placed on administrative leave.

The Secret Service Scandal Rocks Obama Trip

Up to a dozen secret service agents in Colombia to visit President Barack Obama was dismissed from his post due to accusations of wrongdoing.

The Secret Service did not specify the charges, but said they had no impact on the safety of the president, who arrived in the country on Friday for a weekend at the Summit of the Americas.

Associated Press reports that the charges were prostitutes. A senior official told Fox News, they were severe enough to require the mediation of diplomats.

"There have been allegations of misconduct against members of security services in Cartagena, Colombia, before traveling president. For this reason, these people are released from their duties, returned to his job, and are replaced by other security services," Edwin Donovan, a representative of the Secret Service, said in a statement.

"The Secret Service takes all allegations of serious violations. This matter was fully submitted to our office of professional responsibility, which serves as an internal component of the Agency for," said Donovan. "These changes will not affect the overall security plan, which was prepared in anticipation of the visit of the president."

Donovan would not release details, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the incident.

The story broke as Obama prepares to take part in a gala dinner with more than 30 leaders gathered for a summit.

Security guards were a little on edge on Friday night because of reports of small explosions in Cartagena and Bogota, about 400 miles to the south. Minor explosions have occurred in Bogota near the U.S. Embassy. There were no reports of injuries in the accident.

John Adler, president of the Association of the Federal Act for employees, Washington Post, confirmed that the agent was associated with prostitutes. Adler later told the AP, he was not aware of specific violations, if he had heard allegations of prostitution.

Cartagena, a city with a history of problems associated with prostitution, that progress in the fight, and several non-governmental organizations involved in trying to eradicate the sex trade there.

Cartagena Mayor Campo Elías Terán said in a radio interview earlier this week that plans for the summit was to move the homeless to further limit the presence of prostitutes in some areas of the city where it is limited to the legalization of prostitution.

The president said Friday that he intends to use the trip to discuss trade policy and look to open markets for American goods, but note that to be distracted by allegations of misconduct.

Whenever the president travels, the contingent of officers above him on the leg of the route, check out the site and make sure that Obama can be properly monitored. "Advance team" may consist of dozens of agents who perform all kinds of roles, from IT professionals to identify threats and ammunition.

Although there have been several incidents recently president of information - a member of the Obama security team, was arrested in Iowa last summer on suspicion of drunk driving, as well as federal agent for the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security has been charged with second-degree murder after shooting man in Honolulu at the end of last year.

But the Secret Service did not have a big scandal, because agents do not comply with the relevant security protocols and allow free riders to the state dinner at the White House in 2009. Three officers have been placed on leave after the incident, and the White House social secretary at the time, Desiree Rogers, resigned from his post.

According to the president, after the scandal that although "the system does not work as expected," he felt safe and trust the agency to protect his family.

"I could not have more confidence in the Secret Service," Obama said today the United States at the time.

Secret Service Agents staying in Colombia to Provide Security for Barack Obama at Cartagena Summit Are Sent Home

Secret service agents sent home after Colombia prostitution allegations: US secret service agents sent to provide security for Barack Obama at a summit in Colombia have been sent home after allegations of heavy drinking and consorting with prostitutes.

Spokesman Edwin Donovan said the agents involved were relieved from duty and replaced with other agency personnel. "These personnel changes will not affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the president's trip," Donovan said on Friday night.

Donovan said the allegations of misconduct were related to activity before the president arrived in Cartagena on Friday afternoon.

The agents at the centre of the allegations had stayed at Cartagena's Hotel Caribe. Several members of the White House staff and press corps were also staying at the hotel.

A hotel employee said the agents arrived at the beachfront hotel about a week ago and drank heavily during their stay. They were sent home on Thursday after they were admonished by a supervisor.

Jon Adler, the president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents secret service agents, told the Washington Post the accusations related to at least one agent having involvement with prostitutes in Cartagena.

Ronald Kessler, a former Post reporter and the author of a book about the secret service, told the paper that he had learned that 12 agents were involved, several of them married.

On Friday evening, Obama attended a leaders' dinner at Cartagena's historic Spanish fortress.

He was due to attend meetings with regional leaders on Saturday and Sunday. More than 30 presidents and prime ministers are attending the summit. Obama is expected to be on the defensive over issues including drug legalisation, which his administration opposes, the US insistence on excluding Cuba from the conference and his opposition to Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands.

Many Latin American leaders have insisted that this is the last summit which Cuba will not attend. The US, supported by Canada, continues to insist on the embargo on Cuba, first instituted after the revolution in 1959.

Obama will have to battle declining influence in what Washington has long considered its backyard. China has surpassed the US in trade with Brazil, Chile, and Peru and is a close second in Argentina and Colombia.

Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based thinktank, noted in a pre-summit report: "Most countries of the region view the United States as less and less relevant to their needs and with declining capacity to propose and carry out strategies to deal with the issues that most concern them."

Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia, told a meeting of business leaders in Cartagena on Friday that the US was distracted by its commitments in Asia. "The United States should realise that its long-term strategic interests are not in Afghanistan or in Pakistan but in Latin America."