2 U.S. Swimmers Removed From Flight By Brazilian Authorities Amid Robbery Investigation

The U.S. Olympic Committee says two American swimmers were taken off their flight from Brazil by local authorities amid an investigation into a reported robbery involving Ryan Lochte and his teammates.

USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said Wednesday night that “Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight to the United States by Brazilian authorities. We are gathering further information.”

CBS News

Lochte said he was with Conger, Bentz and another teammate when they were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi as they returned to the athletes village from a party, several hours after the last Olympic swimming events were held. Police have found little evidence so far to support their accounts.

Lochte’s father told The Associated Press that his son had arrived back in the United States

Security camera video shows  Lochte and three other members of the U.S. swim team returning to the Athlete’s Village in Rio Sunday morning. It was shortly after Lochte said they left a party at France’s hospitality house in Rio and were robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police, CBS News’ Ben Tracy reported.

“They pulled us over,” Lochte said. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground.”

But Wednesday morning, Rio police went to the Athletes Village looking to further question Lochte and teammate James Feigen. A Brazilian judge had ordered their passports seized because of discrepancies in their stories. She said Lochte claims they were robbed by one person who stole $400 from him. Feigen said they were robbed by several people.

The judge also noted that the swimmers do not appear to be shaken up in the security video, despite Lochte’s dramatic account of the robbery.

“The guy pulled out his gun re-cocked it, put it to my forehead and said get down and I was like I put my hands up. I was like whatever,” Lochte recalled in one interview.