Secret Service team booted from Colombia for misconduct
posted at 9:16 am on April 14, 2012 by Ed Morrissey
Call me old-fashioned, but I liked it better when Secret Service agents focused on protecting the President when working on advance teams — especially when traveling to potentially volatile areas, like Colombia can still be. Instead, a team of a dozen agents that worked to set up security for President Obama’s visit to the Summit of the Americas has been sent back home, as at least one member of the team apparently focused more on going, er, undercover:
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating allegations of misconduct by agents who had been sent to Cartagena, Colombia, to provide security for President Obama’s trip to a summit that began there Friday.
Edwin Donovan, an agency spokesman, said that an unspecified number of agents have been recalled and replaced with others, stressing that Obama’s security has not been compromised because of the change. Obama arrived in Cartagena on Friday afternoon for this weekend’s Summit of the Americas, a gathering of 33 of the hemisphere’s 35 leaders to discuss economic policy and trade.
Donovan declined to disclose details about the nature of the alleged misconduct. But Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said the accusations relate to at least one agent having involvement with prostitutes in Cartagena.
Both the Post and the AP reported on this protectus interruptus late last night. The Post got the story from its former reporter Ronald Kessler, who has written a book about the Secret Service’s personal protection mission, specifically regarding the presidents. The story flew around Twitter last night; I got it from Marc Ambinder, who like me couldn’t recall a scandal like this in the Secret Service. The Post recalls two recent cases of potential misconduct in the last few months, however. One involved charges of drunken driving by an agent on an advance team in Iowa last August, and in November an agent got charged with second-degree murder for an off-duty shooting in Honolulu — again while working on an advance team for an Obama summit [see update II].
As it turns out, the Secret Service sent an advance team to Colombia for a good reason:
Fears of violence marred Saturday’s opening of a summit gathering US President Barack Obama and Latin American leaders when four bombs went off here and in the Colombian capital.
Two of the crude devices exploded in the resort city of Cartagena just hours after the US leader arrived for regional talks set to focus on the vicious drug wars stalking the region.
Two other small bombs exploded near the US Embassy in Bogota, in an area which is also home to important government buildings.
“Nobody was killed, nobody was injured, and there was no damage,” a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Brothels are legal in Colombia in certain “tolerance zones,” but the Secret Service forbids agents to indulge while traveling. (Several of the members of this unit are married as well, which should make for some interesting conversations when they return home very early from their travels.) In case some readers believe that the Secret Service’s concern is mere prudery, having agents engage in this behavior is not just distracting, but potentially exposes them to blackmail and extortion attempts, and possibly a “honey trap” espionage operation, although probably less likely. And let’s not forget that the State Department’s official position on prostitution in Colombia is not that it’s staffed by self-actualized libertarians who voluntarily join for the great salary and benefits, emphasis mine:
Colombia is a major source country for women and girls subjected to sex trafficking in Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Asia, and North America, including the United States, as well as a transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor. Within Colombia, some men and children are found in conditions of forced labor in mining and agriculture, and the sex trafficking of women and children from rural areas into urban areas remains a significant problem. …
Some Ecuadorian children, many of them indigenous, are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking in Colombia. Illegal armed groups forcibly recruit children to join their ranks; an international organization estimates that at least 10,000 children participate in illegal armed groups. Members of gangs and organized criminal networks force relatives, acquaintances, and displaced persons – typically women and children – into conditions of sex trafficking and forced labor, including in the illegal drug trade. Colombia is a destination for foreign child sex tourists from the United States and Europe, particularly to coastal cities such as Cartagena and Barranquilla.
This is an embarrassment to the US on multiple levels. If the charges are true, DHS should be advertising for one or more open positions in the Secret Service.
Update: I had forgotten that the Secret Service was moved out of Treasury and into the Department of Homeland Security. I’ve corrected it above.
Update II: The shooting incident involved an agent from the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, not the Secret Service. The Post included it because the agent was on the advance security team for Obama’s Asia summit, and I didn’t read it closely enough. Thanks to reader Marilu for the correction.
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Good. The coddling of child rapists is the number one problem with the Catholic Church. We’ll see if he lives up to his rhetoric.
Fenris on April 5, 2013 at 10:47 AM
My wife who went to Catholic Church twice a week her entire life until 6 years ago. Now she wont even look at a Church when we drive by one. Sick… Sick… People.
brewcrew67 on April 5, 2013 at 10:50 AM
Good for him. Go after those rapist, out them and boot them out of your church.
MoreLiberty on April 5, 2013 at 10:53 AM
Amen, indeed!
Vince on April 5, 2013 at 10:53 AM
There is also serious talk coming from him about either a heavy clean-up or a complete shut down of the Vatican Bank as well.
Doomberg on April 5, 2013 at 10:55 AM
About time. For too long the church talked tough on these issues while letting the cardinals play hide the pedophile with their approval.
Happy Nomad on April 5, 2013 at 10:56 AM
How about he starts excommunicating politicians that support abortions and homosexual relationships? Until he does, I wouldn’t piss on Catholicism if it were on fire.
Archivarix on April 5, 2013 at 10:56 AM
Good!
Too bad the Democrat leaders won’t follow suit.
Kingfisher on April 5, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Being financially honest is always a good thing, but I don’t subscribe to the point of view that all sins are equal.
Fenris on April 5, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Archivarix: Well, I could say many things here, but I’ll just say that this is a good sign that he takes the _other_ scandalous issues in the Church just as seriously.
Give him a bit of time?
Scott H on April 5, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Mr. Morrissey, these actions by Pope Francis were put into place by Pope Benedict XVI,
From the “Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “
fourdeucer on April 5, 2013 at 11:00 AM
I wouldn’t be too surprised. The words “anthropological throwback” and “machinations of the devil” come to mind. We’ll see. I’m not generally a fan of the “give it time” crowd, but he does need more than a few days.
Fenris on April 5, 2013 at 11:02 AM
My wife who went to Catholic Church twice a week her entire life until 6 years ago. Now she wont even look at a Church when we drive by one. Sick… Sick… People.
brewcrew67 on April 5, 2013 at 10:50 AM
If you are implying that the majority of Catholics condone this activity you are mistaken. Attempting to paint all members of the church this way only shows your twisted black heart.
Agent of the Cross on April 5, 2013 at 11:04 AM
I’ll “amen” here for the hat trick.
Pope Francis doesn’t seem like he says or does anything half-arsed for lack of a better term. I have nothing but a great feeling about him and what’s to come.
JetBoy on April 5, 2013 at 11:06 AM
Pray for Pope Francis.
workingclass artist on April 5, 2013 at 11:12 AM
When are we going to see a similar commitment from the public school system, where there is a far worse abuse scandal still ongoing?
18-1 on April 5, 2013 at 11:13 AM
I like this guy a lot. Pope John Paul II played a shell game with abusers. Good on Pope Francis. God bless him.
beatcanvas on April 5, 2013 at 11:17 AM
Castrations followed by a public hanging ought to do the trick.
LoganSix on April 5, 2013 at 11:17 AM
(Cardinal Richard Mahony swallowed hard and shifted nervously in his seat)
kurtzz3 on April 5, 2013 at 11:20 AM
Or if they repent, send them as missionaries to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait.
Fenris on April 5, 2013 at 11:21 AM
We don’t condone it but merely tolerate it… at least as far as failing to demand decisive and transparent action to prevent it from happening further…
Call us black hearted and twisted, but there are Catholics like myself who would like to call out our religious leaders and fellow lay people who have allowed the church to become indifferent to child abuse. And our fellow Catholics who look the other way on life, religious liberty issues, economic freedom, etc., as long as their number one issue socialism is served.
Call us names but count me as one Catholic who has a problem with our religious leaders’ tending to endorse totalitarian governmental concepts like opposing gun ownership, championing ‘free’ health care, fumbling the handling of predatory priests, etc.
And if you count me as a black hearted twisted Catholic, ‘Agent of the Cross’, then you are simply wrong.
shinty on April 5, 2013 at 11:21 AM
Logan: While I have nothing wrong with this personally, I think ‘laicization followed by extradition if necessary’ works quite well.
Scott H on April 5, 2013 at 11:22 AM
VIRTUS training is, and has been for YEARS, required at our parish if we serve in ANY capacity, even those that are very peripheral and have little or nothing to do with minors. For example, even all adult choir members are required to attend a three hour course in awareness of and how to report any signs of possible child abuse/molestation. We have NO contact with minors, but have been made aware of our duty to keep our eyes alert and open and report directly to police anything suspicious.
The Catholic Church in the US has taken this very seriously. With the near universal protections provided by the VIRTUS program, I’d say children are probably safer and more protected here than just about anywhere else.
marybel on April 5, 2013 at 11:25 AM
Ease up, brother. The “sick people” he’s referring to are the ones perpetrating and condoning this garbage. I’m sure he’s smart enough to know that most Catholics are equally appalled. Keep in mind, it’s left his wife hurt and broken hearted to be sure, and that’s tough for any man to take. There’s nothing twisted or black about being angry about that.
CurtZHP on April 5, 2013 at 11:25 AM
ProTip: If you suspect abuse, call the police. It is the state who should handle child abuse cases — not the church.
Blake on April 5, 2013 at 11:27 AM
Ex clergy here (protestant).
No one can defend child abuse of any sort, and such people need to be dealt with under the rules of the local civil authorities, as well as the laws of the church.
My concern is that the mere **accusation** of such behavior, when the organization is under such a mindset, is enough to ruin lives. Already, in most religious organizations, the accusation of any sexual impropriety is enough to force an end to a career as well as “cooperation” with civil authorities. Later, should the charges turn out to be baseless, the damage is done and nothing can be done to repair it. And putting it mildly, a wise clergy is no longer seen with children (or for that matter, any attractive adult!) for that simple reason.
This is not a new problem. Indeed, however misguided, this is that the Roman Catholic church was trying to guard against, at least in their better moments.
So the question of “how do we find out the truth in the matter” comes to light, which is quite a different matter than “What do we do when we do know truth.” I haven’t heard this one addressed, and I still think it is a glaring area of weakness in the Roman Catholic church (and maybe ’cause it is all so secret?).
geek49203 on April 5, 2013 at 11:28 AM
Glad that he’s continuing the work of JPII, something conveniently ignored by the media and the clueless, guess the anti-Catholics will have to find another reason to hate, like the Crusades or what happened to John Hess, or the of building hospitals.
LincolntheHun on April 5, 2013 at 11:28 AM
It’s the public schools I’d worry about…
Blake on April 5, 2013 at 11:33 AM
geek: Hammer meets nail. Thank you.
Unfortunately, at least in the US, we’re still sliding down into the Abyss of !Truth. Soon, the accusation will be a conviction, because with the increasing victimization mentality of the West, the crime will be that you make someone feel victimized.
We must defend Truth, and if the Truth points to evil, remove that evil.
Scott H on April 5, 2013 at 11:33 AM
To be honest, the Vatican Bank is almost as much an issue for me as the child abuse scandals have been. I’ve been disgusted by the general financial corruption of the Western world for some time. There has always been corruption in finance, but it really seems to have gone into overdrive in the last decade.
I would be thrilled to see a major leader, even a religious leader, become serious about cleaning up financial corruption.
I think he would be crazy to do this. It would give Obama the exact excuse he needs to start harassing, suing, or even closing down churches.
Doomberg on April 5, 2013 at 11:34 AM
Doomberg: The Church does not bend to the State. We don’t attack the State, but the State cannot cow the Church into not performing its function.
If the Church is afraid of the State’s reaction to an internal issue, _the State has already won_.
Scott H on April 5, 2013 at 11:40 AM
Yep. As an adult choir member myself, I’ve had to go through the VIRTUS program in our parish even though the youngest members are in high school, with their parents being members also.
PatriotGal2257 on April 5, 2013 at 11:42 AM
Dear Pope Francis,
Is Cardinal Bernard Law still a pope? Why hasn’t he been excommunicated?
dogsoldier on April 5, 2013 at 12:00 PM
I think that the abuse scandal is a huge black mark against JPII, but let’s give B16 some credit on this. He did do something although it was too delayed and wasn’t forceful enough. B16 is a nice and holy man, but he just didn’t have some of the qualities necessary for his positions. It is going to be difficult for an introverted scholar to make the necessary moves. (It seems that everything got punted to committee.) Francis doesn’t have any such issues. I think that the same argument as electing governors as presidents could be said to electing Archbishops of working dioceses with pastoral and administrative experience rather than Curia insiders as pope.
Illinidiva on April 5, 2013 at 12:06 PM
Apparently Bergoglio dealt with a financial scandal down in Buenos Aires. He transferred all the money into reputable financial institutions. People think that the same may happen.
I’m kind of disappointed that Francis snapping at Law was denied by the Vatican. I actually sort of hope that it was them cleaning up some of the rougher edges of his personality that you know are lurking under the surface and making sure that the nice elderly man who likes poor people and disabled children persona stays top of mind.
Illinidiva on April 5, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Hilarious thing… Mahoney actually voted for Bergoglio. He mentioned it on his twitter account or something. I guess the “May God forgive you for electing me thing” wasn’t just self-effacing.
Illinidiva on April 5, 2013 at 12:14 PM
You can count me as one of those Catholics as well. However, rather than leaving the Church in disgust, I have become head lector in a very leftist parish in Chicago. As head lector, I get to write the weekly Prayers of the Faithful, and you can bet your life our prayers emphasize individual freedom, are pro life, and never promote the class warfare rhetoric that was so common when I first came to this parish!
We will need lots of help from people like you, and your wife. It’s definitely an up hill battle.
Dr Snooze on April 5, 2013 at 12:19 PM
The problem won’t go away until the Church stop creating an atmosphere where the priesthood is a destination for the sexually repressed. For an organization that celebrates mystery, the root causes of the abuse scandals shouldn’t be one.
BocaJuniors on April 5, 2013 at 12:23 PM
The UCCB has been ahead of the curve on this because they were one of the first to get stung by the abuse scandals. The tough UCCB policies were the ones that the Church adopted universally in 2011. (The head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faithful was an American, William Levada, at the time.) The main issue has now come to the Church outside the States; it has hit Europe particularly hard. The main issue in the U.S. has to do with paying victims and dealing with the Laws and Mahoneys that actively covered it up. O’Malley has done a nice job cleaning up Boston, which is why he made the list of potential popes this time around.
Illinidiva on April 5, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Sorry, shinty, by your wife, I was referring to Agent of the Cross. I accidentally conflated your and his comments. So I’d like to extend my request for help to you, and Agent, and his wife.
Dr Snooze on April 5, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Fixed
I didn’t hear about that. Got a link?
dogsoldier on April 5, 2013 at 12:30 PM
Yes, but it doesn’t stop there–the Church needs to defrock the perpetrators, which isn’t nearly as severe as the millstone Christ mentioned.
DrMagnolias on April 5, 2013 at 12:31 PM
Here’s hopin…
But these words aren’t any tougher than what’s been said before.
He’s either going to truly address what is a deeply ingrained and institutionalized issue that has long existed within the culture of the clergy and the church…or he isn’t.
He’d need to do something big…e.g. no more oath of celibacy.
verbaluce on April 5, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Francis is making me somewhat regret that I’m so involved with my current church. If he follows through, he will be remembered as a great pope.
LukeinNE on April 5, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Isn’t that was muslim apologists say? How believable is that argument? If you remain a member of the church what you are saying is that molesting children is not bad enough for you to renounce your membership in the organization.
Why should the clergy be held to a lower standard of behavior than the rest of society? I thought the Christian view was that they are supposed to be “men of God”. Shouldn’t that require a higher standard of behavior? The Pope is the guy who should be upholding the standards. Good for him.
Dan_Yul on April 5, 2013 at 12:38 PM
I didn’t either, a little searching turned up this.
Fenris on April 5, 2013 at 12:41 PM
It’s interesting that Pope Francis wants the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to crack down on abusive priests. Under John Paul II, the Congregation was headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI.
The sexual abuse (mostly of boys) by priests has been a scandal in the Church, which is particularly painful because well over 90% of Catholic priests are good holy men who would never dream of sexually abusing anyone, and the good priests are vilified for the actions of a few rogue priests who were protected by their bishops.
If Pope Francis wants to eliminate sexual abuse by priests from the Church (definitely a laudable goal), he needs to attack the root of the problem–an increasing tendency of seminaries and “vocations directors” to accept gay men for the priesthood, supposedly to show the Church’s “tolerance” or “liberalism”.
A Catholic priest is normally expected to sacrifice his sexuality for service to God, and a heterosexual man in the all-male environment of a seminary could practice celibacy for years before reaching the priesthood. But for a man sexually attracted to other men, the seminary is full of potential sex partners, and after frequent sexual encounters in the seminary, new gay priests will tend to seek contacts with vulnerable young boys.
In order to prevent future sex abuses by priests, the Church will have to vigorously weed gay men out of seminaries. In today’s social environment, where homosexuality and gay marriage are promoted by the media, this may make the Church seem reactionary, but it is a necessary step to prevent future priests from sexually abusing boys.
Steve Z on April 5, 2013 at 12:48 PM
An excellent point! What’s more, since some charges of sexual abuse by priests turned out to be true, other fake “victims” (or their parents) have trumped up sexual-abuse charges against innocent priests in order to enrich themselves in lawsuits. Since priests are constrained by vows of poverty, and do not have personal fortunes to defend themselves in court, many of them are forced to “settle” phony lawsuits, and the accused priests (though innocent) are vilified by the media, who seek any excuse to bash the Catholic church.
Steve Z on April 5, 2013 at 1:04 PM
Have these priests dedicated themselves to Christ or not? I doubt that happens often, but when it does, take comfort in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Fenris on April 5, 2013 at 1:10 PM
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (or confession) is still carried out in private between a peninent and a priest, with no witnesses. Traditionally, this was done in a “confessional”, or two small booths separated by a wall or screen, where the priest and the penitent could hear each other but not touch each other, but some churches have changed this to a private face-to-face meeting in chairs. In order to prevent accusations of “abuse” during confession, Pope Francis might want to reinstate the “confessional”, where it is impossible for the priest to touch anyone. In most churches, the “confessional” is located along the wall of the main church room, and those waiting in line for confession would be witnesses to any mischief.
Steve Z on April 5, 2013 at 1:18 PM
Just curious, but what is the reaction from the leftist Catholics in your parish to your pro-life, promotion of individual freedom, etc. Prayers of the Faithful?
Are they generally supportive but too reticent to say anything for fear of the more militant leftist Catholics getting in their faces, or is there a not-so-polite sneering either to your face or behind your back?
Either way, I’m very glad to hear you doing this. More Catholics need to follow your lead and start defending the Faith vigorously.
PatriotGal2257 on April 5, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Link? Quote?
You’re all apologists for an organization that protected baby-diddlers and child-rapists. What is your problem?
Pope Francis was voted in by at least two men who are on record as PROTECTING PURE SCUM. How can this man be holy when his electing body condones and promotes pure evil?
Explain please.
Capitalist Hog on April 5, 2013 at 1:36 PM
Pedophiles want power over a child. It has nothing to do with being gay.
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/report-pope-exile-law-totally-false-vatican-says
It has been vigorously denied by the Vatican however. But it is in keeping with Papa Bergoglio’s personality. He has no tolerance for powerful people that abuse their authority.
Illinidiva on April 5, 2013 at 1:46 PM
Yeah, I wish the press would show the same relentless concern for abused public school youth as it does for Catholic youth. If the true extend of the abuse was known, the public school system would cease to exist.
Iblis on April 5, 2013 at 1:47 PM
He needs to start excommunicating couples and women who have had abortions and gays not involved in exodus therapy.
Seven Seas on April 5, 2013 at 2:03 PM
Amen. Hope Francis gets busy taking out the garbage. (He could remodel that hideous cathedral Mahoney built while he’s at it.)
Couldn’t be farther from the truth. Pedophiles/pederasts seek prolonged access to children wherever they can, period – religious clergy (all faiths), daycare, schools, overnight camps, soccer teams, you name it. Celibacy is not a concern for them at all. Our diocese requires a three-hour program on recognizing and reporting pedophiles for all adult volunteers that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. They interviewed actual pedophiles and it was sickening how casual they are about describing their plotting to get to children. It is the single driving force of their lives.
inmypajamas on April 5, 2013 at 2:16 PM
People will disagree with you, but I think you are spot on here.
cptacek on April 5, 2013 at 2:57 PM
Let’s get tough with child abusers mr. pope and in the meantime you can schmooze and give communion to biden and Pelosi who personify the demonrat abortion mill. Makes sense to me?
johnny reb on April 5, 2013 at 3:03 PM
Too bad you didn’t read my post, or can’t comprehend it. I didn’t “apologize” to anyone for anything. In fact, my opening statement, should you actually read it, makes my position clear.
Since you didn’t understand my first statement I hardly doubt you’d understand the rest of my post.
geek49203 on April 5, 2013 at 4:32 PM
Thanks for that.
And thanks for your reply too!
dogsoldier on April 5, 2013 at 6:32 PM
Now if we’d just stop the coddling of child rapists in our gummint-run skoolz. But no, the teachers union would never hear of it. After all, it’s Da Union uber alles.
pdigaudio on April 5, 2013 at 8:01 PM
What happened six years ago that makes all of us Catholics sick sick people?
unclesmrgol on April 6, 2013 at 2:30 PM