Panetta: Marines punished for injuring prostitute

 BRASILIA, Brazil – Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday three Marines on a U.S. Embassy security team and one embassy staff member were punished for allegedly pushing a prostitute out of a car in Brasilia late last year after a dispute over payment.

 The incident is similar, but unrelated, to the scandal involving Secret Service agents at the Summit of Americas in Cartagena, Colombia.

 Panetta said the Marines were pulled out of the country. Two had their ranks reduced. The embassy staffer was removed from his post.

 A senior defense official said the woman broke her collarbone when she was pushed from the car in late December. The embassy tracked the woman down and paid for her medical expenses.

Associated Press