Top US security agent arrested in Brussels;
✔ Rubio was staying at Brussels' iconic Hotel Amigo
✔ Argument broke out over hotel bar closing hours
✔ Police say arrested man was acting drunk and disorderly
Brussels police arrest US State Secretary Rubio's bodyguard - US 'examines' case
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference on 27 March 2025. Credit: Belga/Nathan Howard / POOL / AFP
One of the bodyguards in US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's security detail was arrested by Brussels police at a hotel in the Belgian capital on 31 March.
A Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) shift supervisor assigned to Rubio was taken into custody after reportedly arguing with staff at Brussels' iconic Hotel Amigo – where Rubio was staying – and fighting with responding police officers, the Washington Examiner reports.
The DSS veteran was a senior agent on the advance party to Belgium, which was responsible for securing the hotel and conducting final security preparations at the various sites in Brussels for Rubio's visit.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told the Washington Examiner that the agent in question was "behaving erratically" and "became irate" when hotel staff refused to reopen the bar beyond its normal hours, the US media reports.
Staff reportedly attempted to persuade the agent to return to his room, but he became physically aggressive. After police were called, the agent got into a fight with responding officers – eventually leading to his arrest.
After an intervention by the US Embassy, the agent was released from police custody shortly after.
A spokesperson from the US Department of State confirmed to The Brussels Times that the DSS "is aware of allegations of an incident involving an employee in Brussels, Belgium on 31 March 2025. While we don’t discuss specific personnel matters or our protective operations, the allegations are being examined."
The DSS works with Department leadership and Congress to ensure that they have "adequate personnel and resources to carry out protective operations and our global security mission," the spokesperson added. "As new requirements arise and threats evolve, we seek the necessary resources to ensure mission success."
Rubio also stayed at Hotel Amigo, while attending the NATO foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April.
DSS is responsible for protecting American diplomats and embassies around the world. The report alleges that Rubio's DSS security detail is under severe strain, having been stretched "to a near-breaking point by senior leadership."
On Wednesday morning, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the local police zone confirmed to The Brussels Times that the man was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. They did not provide any further information.
The Brussels Times contacted Hotel Amigo for more information about the incident, but has not yet received a response.
This article was updated on Wednesday morning to include comments from the US Department of State, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the local police.
