Secret Service Member Sent Back to US After ‘Physical Altercation’ in Israel

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After an alleged “physical encounter,” an employee of the Secret Service was detained by Israeli police.

A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed that the employee has been released and sent back to the U.S.

The physical encounter occurred just days before Joe Biden was due to arrive in the country.

“The employee was briefly detained and questioned by Israeli police, who released him without charges,” according to the spokesperson.

“His access to Secret Service systems and facilities was suspended pending further investigation,” the statement continued.

More on this story via The Hill:

The incident was first reported by CNN, which identified the member detained by police as part of the Secret Services Counter Assault Team, a highly-trained specialized tactical unit.

A source told the news network the employee assaulted a woman outside of a bar.

Israeli Police and Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

This incident comes months after two Secret Service employees were sent back to the U.S. from South Korea and placed on administrative leave after the employees allegedly got into a confrontation with a taxi driver in South Korea while they were apparently intoxicated.