Ryan Lochte and Other US Swimmers Robbed by Armed Men in Rio

MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images(RIO DE JANEIRO) — Four members of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team were robbed by armed men early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the Olympic Village, according to the United States Olympic Committee.

Swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Lochte left France House early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the athletes’ village, the Olympic Committee said.

Gunnar Bentz later tweeted about the incident.

Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers. The men demanded money and other personal belongings.

All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities, the Olympic Committee noted.

Fears of violent crime hung over the games before they began, ABC News reported earlier this month as Rio has emerged as a hotbed for organized crime.

The Overseas Security Advisory Council, an arm of the U.S. State Department, warns that drug gangs play a large role in violence in Rio.

“Organized crime in Rio de Janeiro is controlled by major drug gangs,” the council reports. “Low-level criminal activity continues to plague visitors and businesses alike. Drug dealing, petty theft and vehicle break-ins are common.”

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