The FBI has been under fire for the actions of its agents overseas, with agents in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand reportedly paying for or accepting sex from prostitutes even as some attended training sessions to combat human trafficking, according to an investigation by the Justice Department’s watchdog. This document, released in response to a lawsuit by The New York Times, details the agents’ behavior between 2009 and 2018, highlighting a culture where women were used for sex.

Many of these incidents occurred during conferences or events, including a 2017 incident in Bangkok where agents visited bars for sex with police officers present, and another event in Manila in 2018 where agents accepted prostitutes paid for by a local law enforcement agency.

Prostitution is forbidden in all three countries and is a priority for the FBI to combat. The recent document provides a fuller picture of these harmful actions and follows a 2021 report by the Office of the Inspector General which noted that five employees had engaged in this behavior.

This is not the first time a U.S. law enforcement agency has faced scrutiny for its staff’s conduct overseas. In 2015, the DEA faced a scandal involving agents participating in sex parties with prostitutes paid for by drug cartels in Colombia, leading to the retirement of the top drug official at the time. In 2012, the Secret Service faced a prostitution scandal in Colombia involving a dozen agents. Following the 2015 DEA scandal, a memorandum was issued prohibiting employees from seeking prostitution, regardless of its legality in a foreign country.

The Justice Department’s Inspector General is responsible for investigating such conduct. Despite President Trump’s history of firing inspectors general, the Justice Department’s inspector general was spared.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/world/americas/fbi-agents-in-southeast-asia-used-prostitutes-watchdog-says.html