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House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul was “briefly detained” by law enforcement officers who thought he was drunk after he mixed Ambien and alcohol before a flight.
The Texas Republican said he took the sleep medication with an alcoholic beverage before a flight to Texas, but missed the plane, leaving him in a “disoriented” state at Dulles International Airport.
“Two weekends ago, I made a mistake — one for which I take full responsibility. I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport. This was the result of a poor decision I made to mix an Ambien — which I took in order to sleep on the upcoming flight — with some alcohol,” McCaul said in a statement.
McCaul said he was “briefly detained” by law enforcement officers, who assumed he was intoxicated.
“I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening,” he noted in his statement.
He was released shortly after when a family member arrived at the airport to pick him up.
McCaul, a nervous flier, had taken the Ambien to help him sleep on his flight, a spokesperson told The Texas Tribune.
The chairman also apologized for the incident, noting, “This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God-willing, make myself a better person.”
McCaul was re-elected this month to an 11th term in his district, which covers Austin to the Houston suburbs.
With Post wires