Brazilian police have prevented three U.S. swimmers from leaving the country after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics over the investigation of a robbery complaint by teammate Ryan Lochte.
According to a report on O Globo Web site, swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were arrested and removed from a late-night homebound flight Wednesday in order that Brazilian federal police could interview them about the reported robbery, about which Brazilian police are suspicious.
Their passports were also seized, O Globo reported in a Portuguese story translated with computer assistance by The Washington Times. The flight was United 128 from Rio de Janeiro to Houston.
“They had been called to testify by the civil police, but did not attend. The police came to look for them in the athletes’ village and in some hotels but did not find them. Therefore, they were arrested and taken to testify,” reported the prominent Rio de Janeiro broadsheet.
Judge Keyla Blanc ordered all four swimmers to have their passports seized and be prevented from leaving Brazil although, according to O Globo, her order acknowledges that Mr. Lochte has left Brazil.
The U.S. Olympic Committee later confirmed the two men’s detention to the Associated Press. Officials with the U.S. Consulate in Rio and the U.S. Olympic Committee were with the swimmers.
SEE ALSO: Ryan Lochte changes robbery story as Brazil detains fellow U.S. swimmers: report
Separately, according to Reuters news agency, a third U.S. swimmer reportedly present at the robbery was detained when trying to leave Brazil on Wednesday night. The swimming events are over for this Olympic Games.
“Brazilian police source says U.S. swimmer James Feigen was also prevented from boarding flight to U.S. from Rio on Wednesday,” tweeted Reuters Sports.
According to the incident report, Mr. Lochte, Mr. Bentz, Mr. Conger and Mr. Feigen were leaving a taxi at the athletes village after a post-competition party Sunday night when they were robbed at gunpoint in the vehicle.
The robbery claim is widely disbelieved in Brazil, whose national pride in hosting the Olympics has been dented by months of reporting about substandard facilities, crime-infested neighborhoods in Rio and threats to athletes health ranging from the Zika virus to backwards sanitation.
“Some points in Mr. Lochte’s account have felt strange to investigators: the alleged assailants not stealing the wallets or credentials of the group; the sudden alcoholic amnesia that befell the four; and the disappearance of the purported taxi driver,” O Globo wrote.
The report also noted inconsistencies among some of the initial accounts given by the four swimmers.
In addition, while the four men said they had left the party at 4 a.m. Sunday and were robbed shortly afterward, security footage obtained by the Daily Mail showed the swimmers arriving at the Olympic Village much later, just before 7 a.m., and not acting like robbery victims, instead horsing and joking around.
While Brazilian authorities believe Mr. Lochte has left their country, there was doubt Wednesday where he was. His father told the Associated Press early Wednesday that his son was in the U.S., but not with him in Florida.
Steve Lochte said his son called him Tuesday, telling his father he was on his way to get his car and purchase a replacement wallet.
“I’m just happy he’s safe,” the elder Mr. Lochte said. “It was an unfortunate experience for him and the other three. I don’t know what all the controversy is. They were basically taken out of the taxi and robbed. The main thing is he’s very lucky that he’s safe and that all they got was his cash and wallet.”
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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