News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Two US swimmers who were allegedly mugged at gunpoint alongside teammate Ryan Lochte have been barred from boarding a flight home by police at Rio airport.

Olympians Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were hauled off the plane and taken for questioning by federal officers on Wednesday, O Globo newspaper reported.

Earlier in the day, Lochte managed to fly home - just before a Brazilian judge asked for his passport to be 'confiscated' over the alleged mugging .

Cops want to question Lochte and teammate James Feigen about 'apparent inconsistencies' in their claims about the robbery , according to the Brazilian newspaper O Globo newspaper.

(Image: Getty)

(Image: Getty)

Lochte claimed that they, Bentz and Conger were robbed at gunpoint in the early hours of Sunday by a man claiming to be a police officer while taking a taxi from a party back to the athletes’ village.

Police have so far been unable to corroborate their accounts.

The taxi driver has not been found and no witnesses have come forward.

And there has been conflicting reports about what happened during the incident.

On Sunday, Olympic chiefs denied reports – attributed to Lochte’s mother – that a mugging had taken place.

(Image: Getty)

Then later in the day, the US team confirmed that there had been an incident.

Lochte went on to relate his version of events in a dramatic TV interview.

“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over,” the 32-year-old swimmer told NBC’s Today programme.

(Image: AFP/Getty)

“They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground – they got down on the ground.

"I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not getting down on the ground.

“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said: ‘Get down’, and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever’.

"He took our money, he took my wallet, he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”

He later told reporters that he did not immediately inform the police because he was afraid he might get in trouble.

Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, said there was no question the robbery occurred and that Lochte had 24-hour security after the incident.

(Image: AFP/Getty)

“This happened the way he described it,” Ostrow said.

Rio police said they had not received an official complaint, but launched an investigation based on the reports of the incident given to media in Brazil, and the US.

They then sought a judicial order to prevent the US swimmers leaving the country while the case was ongoing, according to Brazilian media.

Lochte’s lawyers have said he had returned to the US.

It is unclear whether the other three swimmers are still in Rio.

(Image: Twitter/Ryan Lochte)

Judge Keyla Blanc, of the Special Tribunal for Fans and Major Events, issued a search and arrest warrant with the aim of finding Feigen’s cellphone to locate where the swimmers were at the time of the alleged robbery, O Globo reported.

The US team spokesman, Patrick Sandusky, confirmed police wanted more information from the alleged mugging victims.

“There was no effort to detain anyone, but police did have further questions," he said.

"It is a matter for our consulate and US citizen services and we will continue to cooperate with all involved,” he said.

O Globo published CCTV of Lochte arriving back at the Olympic village shortly after the incident, but reported some concerns over the timing of the robbery which apparently did not tally with the footage of when they got back afterwards.