House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul was “briefly detained” at an airport in Virginia earlier this month and charged with being drunk.
According to the Associated Press, NBC News and Semafor, citing a spokesperson for the Republican representative, McCaul became “disoriented” after taking Ambien, a sleep aid, and drinking alcohol before getting on a Nov. 4 flight back to Texas from Dulles International Airport due to being a “nervous flyer.”
The outlets report that after the incident caused him to miss his flight and lock himself out of his phone, McCaul had an encounter with police, who detained him, thinking he needed help.
While he was not arrested, a representative for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed with NBC News, The Washington Post and PEOPLE that McCaul was charged with being drunk in public.
Michael McCaul.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
He was later released on a summons to a third-party driver. Under Virginia law, the charge is classified as a Class 4 misdemeanor.
In a statement acquired by the outlets, McCaul took “full responsibility” for the “mistake” he made “two weekends ago.”
“I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport,” he said. “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.”
Michael McCaul.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
“Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening,” his statement continued.
“This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect,” his statement added. “But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God-willing, make myself a better person.” PEOPLE reached out to a representative for McCaul but did not immediately hear back.
Earlier this month, McCaul was reelected to represent Texas’ 10th District, which stretches from Austin to Houston, in the U.S. House of Representatives. It will be his 11th term in Congress. He was made chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023.
