Two US Olympic Swimmers Pulled From Airplane in Brazil
The two US Olympic swimmers pulled from the airplane by the Brazilian police after questioning their claim to have been victims of an armed mugging.
On Wednesday, The spokesman of the US Olympic Committee, Patrick Sandusky released a statement saying: "We can confirm that Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight to the United States by Brazilian authorities.
The two swimmers were with US swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen when they told the Brazilian police that they were robbed at the gunpoint.
A Brazilian judge said that their story is full of inconsistencies which made the authorities to question their given statements.
"The swimmers are here and making statements," spokesman of the airport police said.
Globo, a news organization in Brazil, posted a video online of the two swimmers walking to the police station. However, g1 news site said that Feigen had been detained at the airport but later changed their statement into saying that Feigen remained in Brazil.
Lochte is already in the United States before the Brazilian authorities started questioning their inconsistent stories.
Judge Keyla Blank released a statement from her office saying "issued warrants for searches and the seizure of the passports for the US swimmers. With this, they are banned from leaving the country."
Many Olympic authorities are embarrassed after the report of the terrifying incident happened to the US swimmers. Fears came up to the thousands of tourists in Rio. However, the court order is the latest twist of the story of the US swimmers.
The US swimmers could face serious charges for filing a false report according to the Brazilian authorities.
Lochte recently said on his interview that he and his 3 teammates were robbed by people disguised as police officers at gunpoint.
However, confusions and interrogations came up when the International Olympic Committee denied the incident.
The Olympic officials said that the Brazilian authorities are still looking for witnesses of the robbery incident including the cab driver who is the key witness to the incident.
The swimmers' behavior that is caught on camera while returning to their hotel after the robbery incident raise doubts and questions because the victims looked physically and mentally normal.
"It's noticeable that the victims arrived back physically and mentally unshaken, even joking with each other, Blank said.
The video shows the four swimmers going through an X-ray machine and taking wallets and cellphones from their pockets. Lochte also caught playfully hits his one team mate with his Olympic accreditation. The said video is posted on Britain's Daily Mail tabloid website.