Since its founding, the United States Secret Service has occupied a unique and indispensable role in American government. Presidents, vice presidents, and other senior officials place their lives — and often the lives of their families — in the hands of agents who are expected to operate with absolute professionalism, discretion, and loyalty.
Personal opinions are irrelevant in that line of work. The mission is protection, full stop. For the most part, the agency has honored that responsibility, even under extraordinary pressure. That is precisely why allegations of betrayal from within its ranks are so disturbing.
According to reporting highlighted by James O’Keefe, a current Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail, Tomas Escotto, was allegedly recorded on hidden camera disclosing sensitive security information to an undercover journalist. The details Escotto is accused of sharing go far beyond casual commentary. They reportedly include protective formations, shift schedules, travel plans, advance security procedures, and even real-time location information. In one instance, Escotto allegedly sent images from Air Force Two while traveling with the vice president.
If accurate, this is not merely careless talk. Protective details are built on layers of secrecy specifically designed to prevent hostile actors from exploiting predictable patterns. Describing how the vice president is physically surrounded, outlining multiple daily shift changes, and revealing future travel plans days in advance is the kind of information adversaries actively seek.
That Escotto allegedly shared this material despite acknowledging that he had signed paperwork explicitly prohibiting such disclosures only deepens the severity of the situation.
BREAKING: U.S. Secret Service Agent Assigned to VP JD Vance Leaks Sensitive Security Information to Undercover Reporter.
Escotto is a holdover from the Biden administration and stated that he voted for Joe Biden, while expressing opposition to ICE & the Trump administration’s… pic.twitter.com/AyAjrt3XY4
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) January 13, 2026
What makes the allegations even more alarming is the context in which the information was supposedly shared. Reports indicate the agent believed he was communicating with a casual romantic interest. In intelligence terms, that raises an immediate red flag. Honey traps are not hypothetical.
They are a well-documented tactic used by hostile foreign services, particularly by regimes such as China, which has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to exploit personal vulnerabilities to extract sensitive information from American officials. Iran, despite its internal contradictions, cannot be ruled out either. Had this information been shared with a foreign intelligence operative instead of an American journalist, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
An ordinary breach of trust is serious. This, if proven, would be something far worse. Secret Service agents are entrusted with the lives of the nation’s highest elected officials and are expected, if necessary, to place themselves in harm’s way to protect their principals. That level of responsibility demands absolute discipline and judgment.
It is important to note that Escotto is entitled to a presumption of innocence and due process, like any American. Allegations are not convictions. But if these claims are substantiated, the conduct described would represent not just professional failure, but a fundamental violation of duty. This would not be a minor lapse or an internal embarrassment. It would be a betrayal of the core mission of the Secret Service, and one that should carry severe consequences to preserve the integrity of an institution on which the nation relies.