CARTAGENA, Colombia (AP) - A deepening scandal involving prostitutes and Secret Service agents is making it harder for President Barack Obama to keep the focus of his Colombia trip on boosting economic ties with Latin America.
The Secret Service says it has placed 11 employees on administrative leave for misconduct in Colombia, where they were working on security ahead of the president's visit.
The agency's assistant director says the employees were special agents and Uniformed Division officers who were not assigned to protect Obama himself.
The agency didn't disclose the nature of the allegations, but The Associated Press has confirmed that the behavior in question involved prostitutes.
The controversy has also expanded to the U.S. military, which announced five service members staying at the same hotel as the agents in Colombia may have been involved in misconduct as well. They were confined to their quarters and ordered not to have contact with others.
All the alleged activities took place before Obama arrived Friday in the port city of Cartagena for meetings with 33 other regional leaders.
The Secret Service says it regrets any distraction the situation has caused during the regional meetings.
