Two U.S. Embassy military attaches shot and wounded at Venezuelan strip club

Three Americans reportedly involved in brawl at Antonella 2012 strip club in Caracas at 4.25am Tuesday

Two were shot and sustained non-life-threatening wounds

Incident recalls last year's prostitution scandal involving Secret Service agents in Colombia

Two U.S. Embassy military attaches in Venezuela have been wounded in a shooting at a well-known strip club in Caracas, local authorities say.

Officers heard shots around 4.25am Tuesday at the Antonella 2012 club, better known as 'Angelus' in the upscale Chacao district, a police source told Reuters.

An employee told Agence France-Presse that the the bar is a strip club that only admits men over age 30. Pictures of female strippers line the entrance to the club.



One of the embassy employees, military attaché Roberto Ezequiel Rosas, was shot in the leg, according to a police report seen by Reuters and the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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Violence: Three Americans were reportedly involved in a brawl outside the Antonella 2012 strip club in an upscale neighborhood of Caracas early Tuesday

Older crowd: The club, which is popular with foreigners, reportedly only admits men over age 30

Suggestive: The Twitter account for the Antonella 2012 suggests the strip club could offer more than just stripping

The second embassy official, Paul Marwin, was shot in the stomach but did not notice the injury until arriving home, the source said.

The wounds are not believed to be life-threatening.



A police source told AFP that a third American was involved, as well, but he was not wounded.



The shooting happened just outside the strip club after the Americans got into an argument with other patrons of the nightclub, police say.

'Apparently it was a fight originating in a nightspot where these people were attacked and shots were fired at them and they suffered gunshot wounds," police spokesman Douglas Rico told Venezuelan TV channel Globovision.



Party time: The nightclub's social media sites feature pictures of strippers dancing on poles, in cages and laying on beds

It's unclear what services the strip club offers patrons on these beds in private rooms next to the club

In a terse statement, the embassy confirmed an 'incident,' but gave few details.

'We can confirm that two members of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas were injured during an incident early this morning. Medical staff informs us that their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening,' the statement said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Reuters reporters saw police detective vehicles parked near the club, which is popular among foreigners. Officials walked in and out of the club without answering questions.

Venezuela has one of the world's highest homicide rates. Violent crime occurs primarily in the country's poor slums, but in recent years, assaults and shootings have become more common in well-to-do areas of the city.

Last week, President Nicolas Maduro launched a security drive that puts soldiers on the streets of the capital. About 20 security initiatives have been implemented since 1999.

The Venezuela shooting may revive memories of an incident that embarrassed U.S. officials in Colombia last year. In that case, Secret Service agents helping to protect President Barack Obama were sent home for involvement with prostitutes.

Shades of past scandals: The shooting recalls the prostitution scandal last year involving U.S. Secret Service agents who hired prostitutes in Colombia