DEA agents investigated for hiring prostitutes in Colombia

By msnbc.com staff and news services

At least two?U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents reportedly are facing a Justice Department probe for hiring prostitutes in Colombia.

The alleged incident took place when Secret Service agents also were in Colombia for President Obama's visit in mid April and hired prostitutes, but they are not directly related, CBS News reported.

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According to The Associated Press, the investigation of the "allegations about potential misconduct" is based on information provided by the Secret Service, the DEA said. The agency is making its employees available to be interviewed by investigators with the office of the Justice Department inspector general, the DEA said.

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Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement that she had been briefed about the involvement of two or more DEA agents on May 4 but was asked to withhold public comment until the agents could be taken out of Colombia and questioned.

"It's disturbing that we may be uncovering a troubling culture that spans more than one law enforcement agency," Collins said.

"In addition to the Secret Service scandal, we now learn that at least two DEA agents apparently entertained female foreign national masseuses in the Cartagena apartment of one of the agents. The evidence uncovered thus far indicates that this likely was not just a one-time incident."

Rep. King says he won't meet with Colombian prostitute at center of Secret Service scandal

According to CBS, the Justice Department is working with the DEA, the U.S. Secret Service, the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service on the investigation.

Unlike the Secret Service, the DEA has permanent offices in Colombia.

"DEA takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and will take appropriate personnel action, if warranted, upon the conclusion of the [Office of the Inspector General's] investigation," a statement released by a DEA spokesperson to CBS read.

Prostitution is legal in Colombia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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