A senior member of the U.S. State Department’s security team was arrested in Brussels after reportedly assaulting a hotel employee and clashing with local police, according to multiple sources.
Incident Occurred During NATO Summit
The altercation took place last week during the NATO summit in Brussels. Senator Marco Rubio and his security detail were staying at the Amigo Hotel, where the incident happened.
The Washington Examiner reports that the senior agent, who works for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), became aggressive when hotel staff refused to reopen the bar after closing time.
Hotel Dispute Turns Violent
On March 31, the shift supervisor in charge of Rubio’s security reportedly demanded the hotel bar reopen. When staff and the night manager declined and asked him to return to his room, he allegedly became physically aggressive.
Hotel staff called the police. When officers arrived, the agent reportedly argued with them and was taken into custody.
Released After Embassy Intervention
The security officer was released a few hours later following intervention by the U.S. Embassy in Brussels. His name has not been released, and the State Department declined to identify the individual when asked.
State Department Responds
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the Diplomatic Security Service is aware of the incident and is actively investigating the allegations.
The DSS is responsible for protecting U.S. diplomats and fighting international crimes like passport and visa fraud.
Stress and Workload Cited as Contributing Factors
An anonymous State Department official told the Washington Examiner that shift supervisors like the one involved face extreme workloads.
“They’re responsible for other agents, planning, scheduling, budgeting, and handling their own shift work,” the official said.
“They work 6 to 7 days a week. The stress is enormous.”
The source believes that the DSS should consider the agent’s stress levels and working conditions during their internal investigation.
“They owe him a fair and thorough review of what happened, including DSS’s role in this situation,” the official added.
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