Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks at Uline Inc., in Alburtis, Pennsylvania, U.S., December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
(Washington, DC) – A US Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President JD Vance has been placed on administrative leave after an undercover recording allegedly captured him sharing sensitive security information, and separately making political remarks critical of ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The agent, identified as Tomas Escotto, was recorded on hidden camera describing protective formations, duty rotations, advance procedures and travel-related details connected to the vice president’s security, according to the investigative report published Tuesday. The outlet said Escotto also transmitted photos taken from protected environments, including images sent from Air Force Two while traveling with Vance.
The same report describes Escotto as a holdover from the Biden administration and says he told the undercover journalist he voted for Joe Biden, while expressing opposition to ICE and Trump-era immigration enforcement. The outlet published the quote: “I hate that [ICE] sh*t.”
The Secret Service confirmed the employee has been placed on administrative leave, with his clearance suspended and access to agency facilities and systems revoked, and said the incident is under investigation.
In an internal memo referenced in the report, Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said the employee had been “deliberately targeted and manipulated” by a group using deceptive tactics, but added the agent “failed to meet the standards demanded of this agency.”
Quinn also said the agency has ordered all personnel to retake required anti-espionage training, and stated the Secret Service “deeply apologizes to the Vance family” over the breach of trust.
