Men seen forcing open backdoor of China's Houston consulate after closure
After the men pried open a rear door and went inside, two uniformed members of the US State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security arrived to guard the door. They did not respond to questions from reporters
A group of men accompanied by a US State Department official were seen forcing open a door at the Chinese consulate in Houston on Friday, shortly after a US government closure order for the mission took effect at 4 p.m. Central Time (2100 GMT).
The group included a man who appeared to be the State Department's top official for foreign missions, Cliff Seagroves. The group did not respond when asked who they were by reporters and a State Department spokesperson declined to answer questions about Seagroves or the group's activity at the consulate.
After the men pried open a rear door and went inside, two uniformed members of the US State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security arrived to guard the door. They did not respond to questions from reporters.
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The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
Consulate staff had exited the Houston building shortly after 4 p.m. and left in vehicles before the door was forced open, according to a Reuters witness.
