Leading GOP Lawmaker Detained At Airport By Police: Report

A top Republican lawmaker has apologized for an incident that occurred at an airport where he was “briefly” detained by police after finding himself “disoriented.”

Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said he mixed an “ambien” with some “alcohol,” which left him dazed and confused at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.

“Two weekends ago, I made a mistake — one for which I take full responsibility,” McCaul, who is chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement to the DailyMail.com.

“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. Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up,” he said.

A spokesman for the lawmaker said he takes the medication because he’s a “nervous flier.” The chairman frequently travels to meet with world leaders both domestically and internationally. He was boarding a flight to Texas, where he lives with his wife Linda and their five children when he was detained due to disorientation. Reports also indicated that the congressman had locked himself out of his cell phone during the incident.

He became disoriented, missed his flight, and was subsequently picked up by police after their intervention. The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police confirmed that the lawmaker was charged with being “drunk in public” around 9 p.m. local time on November 4.