A U.S. diplomat has been expelled from New Zealand, and no one will say why

Sheep in New Zealand.
(Image credit: Ross Land/Getty Images)

After the U.S. Embassy in New Zealand told police they would not be allowed to interview a diplomat involved in a mysterious incident earlier this month, the staffer was expelled from the country.

Whatever happened took place on March 12 outside Wellington, the BBC reports. While police won't give any details and U.S. officials have only confirmed that the unidentified diplomat left on Saturday, New Zealand Radio says he departed the country with a black eye and broken nose. The 1961 Vienna Convention gives all diplomatic staff working in New Zealand immunity from prosecution, but the foreign ministry says it will pulll immunity "if there are allegations of serious crimes."

The U.S. Embassy said it doesn't comment on matters under investigation, but it takes "seriously any suggestion that our staff has fallen short of the high standards of conduct expected of U.S. government personnel."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.