President Joe Biden's visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday hit a bit of a hiccup when local authorities helping the United States Secret Service secure the president misplaced a document containing "detailed sensitive security information" on Biden's movements.
The security document was reportedly found "on a street in Belfast" according to an American "law enforcement official" who confirmed its authenticity and local officials are sheepishly admitting to the "security breach."
Unbelievable! Biden security documents found in the streets of Ireland.
— A. Starr (@StarrAli001) April 12, 2023
Joe Biden’s trip to Northern Island on Wednesday after a top-secret document containing the itinerary for his visit to Belfast and information about his protective detail was found in the street.… pic.twitter.com/Mtnri8Mweq
A Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News that it does "not discuss the specifics of any protective operation," but said "the President's movements were not affected by these reports."
As USA Today reported:
The document contained names of Belfast police and postings, but nothing related to the Secret Service's operations, which oversees the president's security during foreign trips, or its security plans.
The security breach came a the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland was considered "severe" for Biden's visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of civil war in Northern Ireland.
Despite the breach, the U.S. Secret Service expressed continued trust in local authorities.
"The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) informed the Secret Service of media reports regarding a potentially sensitive document, which may contain law-enforcement material," the agency said. "While we do not discuss the specifics of any protective operation, the President’s movements were not affected by these reports."
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The Police Service of Northern Ireland issued a statement to news outlets saying it was "aware of a security breach" of what they said was an "operational order" and that an investigation into how the sensitive document ended up drifting through the streets of Belfast has been launched.
The document reportedly detailed how PSNI planned to keep Belfast secure during Biden's overnight stay in the city. A man named Bill called into a BBC radio show to say he was the one who found the document and "found it alarming...It gives you details of roads being closed, who the commanders are, phone numbers. I just think it's a bit crazy to have it lying out there in the street," Bill told the BBC host.
The U.S. Secret Service also said that it has the "highest confidence in our Irish and European partners and the ongoing security of the visit."
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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