After a top-secret document revealing the schedule for President Biden's visit to Belfast and details about his security detail was discovered in the street, a security concern hung over the president's travel to Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland officers in the president's security detail were listed by name and phone number in the police paper, which was found by a passerby, according to BBC Radio Ulster.
According to a statement to the Irish Examiner, the PSNI verified the security compromise.
"An investigation has commenced and we have notified the Senior Information Risk Officer," the statement read.
"We take the safety of visiting dignitaries, members of the public, and our officers and staff extremely seriously and will put the appropriate actions in place."
The president continued his flight to Dublin on Wednesday after Biden's visit to Belfast ended without incident, New York Post reported.
As soon as the president arrived Tuesday night to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a major security operation involving more than 300 officers got underway.
The Troubles, a three-decade period of sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants, came to an end with the 1998 accord, however, tensions still exist, and recent violent outbursts have been attributed to Irish Republican dissidents opposed to the peace effort.
In addition, the province's power-sharing government disintegrated last year due to a post-Brexit trade conflict.
On Monday, a group of paramilitaries marching through the streets to commemorate the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, an armed uprising that is credited with bringing about Irish independence, attacked police in the border city of Derry (also known as Londonderry to supporters of the British government).
The protesters attacked a police cruiser that was keeping watch over the crowd by hurling Molotov cocktails and other objects at it.
Police in Northern Ireland are said to have thwarted a terrorist bomb plan over the weekend that aimed to interfere with Biden's visit to Belfast.
According to reports, members of the New IRA paramilitary organization planned to build an explosive device in Derry using bomb components to replicate an attack the group carried out in November using a roadside bomb.
On Apr. 10, 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed. To commemorate the occasion, Vice President Biden posted on Twitter that the US is dedicated to "preserving peace."
"25 years ago, Northern Ireland's leaders chose peace," Biden wrote.
"The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement ended decades of violence and brought stability. I look forward to marking the anniversary in Belfast, underscoring the U.S. commitment to preserving peace and encouraging prosperity."
Later this week, Biden will also take part in several activities in County Louth, where he can trace his Irish lineage on his mother's side.
He will travel to County Mayo on Friday before coming back to the U.S.
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