State Department reviewing 'incident' with Rubio's security in Brussels

The State Department said it is reviewing an “incident” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s security detail during last week’s trip to Europe.

A Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) shift supervisor reportedly was arrested and released following an altercation with local police. 

The State Department spokesperson told The Hill in an emailed statement that the DSS is “aware of allegations of an incident involving an employee in Brussels” last Monday. 

“While we don’t discuss specific personnel matters, the allegations are being examined,” the spokesperson added.

A senior shift supervisor was arrested March 31 at Brussels's Hotel Amigo, where Rubio was staying, the Washington Examiner reported Monday.

The bodyguard, who was not named by the Examiner, was acting “erratically” and became irritated when the hotel’s staff would not open its bar after business hours. After trying to convince the member of Rubio’s security detail to go to his room, the bodyguard got physically aggressive and law enforcement was called to the scene. The agent got into an altercation with police officers and was arrested, the Examiner reported, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

Later in the day, the agent was freed, after the U.S. Embassy got involved. 

The Hill has reached out to Belgium’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., and DSS for comment. 

DSS is the State Department’s security agency that protects diplomats and combats transnational crimes such as passport and visa fraud.