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The agents were withdrawn and replaced before the arrival of Obama on the day of Friday.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