US military brought prostitutes to Colombian hotel

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A military investigation says up to a dozen US service members brought women, likely prostitutes, to their hotel rooms in Colombia, shortly before President Barack Obama arrived in the country for an April summit.

The report reveals new details about the conduct of servicemen during the prostitution scandal that engulfed both military and Secret Service personnel who guard the president. Nine servicemen have been punished so far.

The investigation says hotel staff complained to US officials that military members had female guests in their rooms after 6 am, a violation of hotel policy. Prostitution is legal in Colombia, but is a violation of the US military code of justice.

Seven Army soldiers and two Marines have received administrative punishments for what the report described as misconduct consisting "almost exclusively of patronizing prostitutes and adultery." Three of the service members have requested courts martial, which would give them a public trial to contest the punishments.

One Air Force member was reprimanded but cleared of any violations of the US military code of justice, and final decisions are pending on two Navy sailors, whose cases remain under legal review.

According to the investigator's report, the problems involving the servicemen came to light when hotel staff complained to US officials that military members had female guests in their rooms after 6 a.m., a violation of hotel policy.

They also complained that dog handlers allowed their dogs to sleep in beds, soil hotel linens and soil other public areas around the building. It's not clear, the report said, whether the dog problems were limited to military handlers, but officials said those issues were corrected right away.

The wider scandal involving the Secret Service erupted after a public dispute over payment between a Secret Service agent and a prostitute at a Cartagena hotel.

The Secret Service and the military were in the Colombian coastal resort to prepare for Obama's participation in a Latin American summit. Twelve Secret Service employees were implicated, eight of them ousted, three cleared of serious misconduct and one is being stripped of his security clearance.