Secret Service agent who hid affair, dead of apparent suicide

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – A 48-year-old Secret Service agent, who allegedly had a romantic liaison with a Mexican woman, has apparently killed himself.

CNN reported Thursday that a law enforcement authority has confirmed that Rafael Prieto died last Saturday. His death is being probed by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington and the medical examiner’s office.

Prieto, who is a part of President Barack Obama’s protective detail, was under investigation for not informing his employer about his extramarital affair with a foreign national, which is considered a violation of a Secret Service policy. His access to Secret Service resources has been put on hold while the process is going on.

The official emphasized that Prieto’s case was an “administrative process.” He was not being investigated by the Secret Service’s Office of for Professional Responsibility because “there is nothing to indicate that any classified or sensitive information was compromised as a result of this relationship.”

Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said that “Rafael Prieto had a distinguished 20-year career with the Secret Service that was marked by accomplishment, dedication, and friendships.”

An official announcement of Prieto’s cause of death has not been made.

The Secret Service made headlines earlier this year after agents were reported associating with prostitutes during Obama’s official visit to Colombia.

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