(Decorah, Iowa) – Local authorities say they arrested a Secret Service agent on assignment in Iowa to help with presidential security for driving under the influence.
City Police Chief Bill Nixon says the driver was was off duty when he was arrested Saturday. President Barack Obama visited the northeast Iowa city a few days later as a part of his Midwestern tour.
City Police Chief Nixon says Valencia looked as if he had been drinking, but fortunately no vehicles were involved in an accident.
After a field sobriety test, the arresting officer decided the agent was too intoxicated to drive. He refused to take a preliminary breath test on the scene and at the jail. The Agent was then charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. He was released Monday after posting bail.
Secret Service spokesman George Ogilvee confirmed that the driver is an agent and that the incident had been turned over to the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
Both Chief Nixon and the Secret Service spokesperson declined further comment.