(WASHINGTON) — A member of the U.S. Capitol Police Dignitary Protection Detail was arrested in Israel last month after allegedly being intoxicated and getting into a fight while working in an advance role ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the Middle East, according to four sources familiar with the situation.
This information was later confirmed by the U.S. Capitol Police in a statement to ABC News.
Typically, when someone is under protective detail, agents are sent to the location ahead of time to scout out secure locations for the protectee.
The speaker and seven other Democratic lawmakers traveled to Israel while the House was out of session in February. ABC News does not know the name of the DPD agent.
The detail member was hospitalized before being released and given a plane ticket back to the United States, according to two sources briefed on the incident.
Capitol police told ABC News in a statement they would not be releasing the agent’s name since he wasn’t charged with a crime and it was a “discipline/personnel matter.” However, the agency said they had been with the USCP since April 2018 and had worked three details for members of Congress.
“On February 14, a United States Capitol Police Dignitary Protection special agent was doing advance work for a Congressional Delegation in Israel when the agent was accused of having a physical altercation while the agent was believed to be under the influence of alcohol,” Capitol police said in the statement. “The agent was not charged by the Israeli National Police, however U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger immediately sent the agent home, revoked the agent’s police powers and suspended the agent pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the USCP’s Office of Professional Responsibility.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office declined to comment.
U.S. Capitol Police have been under fire since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection when a Senate report found Capitol police were underprepared for the riot.
Since then they have implemented sweeping changes to the agency, including hiring a new police chief.
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