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Rep. Michael McCaul accused of being drunk after airport detention
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Rep. Michael McCaul accused of being drunk after airport detention

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul was “briefly detained” at a Virginia airport earlier this month and charged with drunkenness.

According to the Associated Press, NBC News And Semaforquoting a spokesperson for the Republican representative, McCaul became “disoriented” after taking Ambiena sleeping pill and drank alcohol before boarding the Nov. 4 flight home to Texas from Dulles International Airport because he was a “nervous traveler.”

Media reports that after the incident that caused him to miss his flight and lock himself out of his phone, McCaul had an encounter with police, who arrested him, thinking he needed help .

Although he was not arrested, a representative for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed to NBC News: The Washington Post and PEOPLE that McCaul was accused of being drunk in public.

Michael McCaul.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty


He was then released following a summons from a third driver. Below Virginia lawthe charge is classified as a Class 4 misdemeanor.

In a statement obtained by the media, McCaul took “full responsibility” for the “mistake” he made “two weekends ago.”

“I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented at the airport,” he said. “This is the result of a bad decision I made to mix an Ambien – which I took to sleep on the next flight – with alcohol.”

Michael McCaul.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty


“Law enforcement briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me this evening- there,” continues his press release.

“This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect,” he adds. “But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God willing, become a better person.” PEOPLE reached out to a representative for McCaul but did not immediately receive a response.

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Earlier this month, McCaul was re-elected represent the 10th district of Texaswhich stretches from Austin to Houston, to the United States House of Representatives. This will be his 11th term in Congress. He was appointed chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023.