Secret Service agents provide protection for the president and other public figures

SKY NEWS

The head of the US Secret Service is to face Congress to explain why his agents were cavorting with prostitutes in Colombia in April, reports Sky News.

Twelve Secret Service officers and supervisors and 12 other US military personnel have been implicated.

Agents in the US Drug Enforcement Agency are also being investigated.

The covert shenanigans of a number of Secret Service agents were exposed during US president Barack Obama's visit to Cartagena for the Summits of the Americas.

The incident began with a row between prostitute Dania Suarez and one agent after a night they spent together.

Their loud disagreement over how much he owed her brought so much attention the police were called.

In the investigation that followed, a number of other agents were alleged to have been romping with prostitutes in their rooms.

Their boss, Mark Sullivan, now faces the consequences on Capitol Hill.

He is expected to tell lawmakers that nine agents were found to have been involved in serious misconduct, and three cleared of the most serious allegations.

He will claim that other intelligence agencies have found no breach of operational security was caused by the use of prostitutes.

A new code of conduct is expected for secret agents while working overseas.

They will be banned from taking foreign nationals to their rooms.

Alcohol will be banned within ten hours of active duty.