Lochte and the robbed swimmers...

Yeah, it doesn't make much sense. I am shocked that the government would issue search warrants and hold passports over this.

They admitted that they had been drinking, so inconsistencies in what they saw isn't particularly surprising. I can say that I think the judge issuing a hold on their ability to leave Brazil is utter bullshit. I think Brazil is trying to save face. The idea that their watches and cell phones weren't stolen is "evidence" that their story is untrue is ridiculous. I don't know what happened, but I do know that if I was in their shoes, I'd get the hell out of Brazil. I'll also say that this action by the judge, makes me even less likely to visit Brazil.

That news story seemed like so much manufactured drama to me. Drama from Brazilian officials. Drama from reporters.

Yeah, normally I'd say anything is possible with Lochte, but Brazillian authorities are out of line. Given their failure to complete proposed projects, and behavior of fans, I think they're trying to save face.

Do they think they murdered someone and tried to cover it up with an alibi? Then hold a plane. But for possible statement discrepancies by the VICTIMS of a smaller crime ? I don't think so.

So the premise is what? Four guys colluded to report a crime that didn't happen to make the host country somehow look worse than it already does? To get their name in the news? To make themselves laughing stocks if the truth came out?

As for stories not matching, eye witness/victim testimony is notoriously unreliable.  They had been partying and were in shock. Frankly, Lochte has never struck me as overly observant or bright anyway (that might just be his persona). As for the video in which they are returning to the village and not acting like victims or people in fear of their lives, I haven't seen it.  But I have seen a near-death adrenaline rush turn into giddiness at being alive and people laughing at what a close call they had. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt for now.

I also question why, given all the agencies that supposedly interviewed them, it's this judge that seems to have the biggest issue. What's his angle? Brazil is notoriously rife with crocked cops and judges (and they were supposedly held up by cops) so pardon me for not buying he really is concerned about finding someone to prosecute here. I've heard before that Rio cabbies don't stop, even at lights, because they are likely to get robbed so I have issues with that part of the story as well.

I also have concerns about a judge in a foreign country being able to essentially to hold a US citizen hostage on so little evidence. As of right now we only know him as a crime victim not a criminal (and what would the crime be, a false report? Also not worth potentially ruining his life or the shit storm of PR this nightmare could be for all of them). What a way to keep tourists from reporting crimes by making them fear that they will be the ones locked up. This has the makings of a bad movie right here. 

Frankly, no athletes shouldn have been allowed to leave the village and should've had their own security if doing so. I'm surprised we haven't heard more stories like this to be honest.

At this point, even if Lochte and the others were to recant, I'd wonder if they were forced into it by law enforcement, to avoid further issues, or by the USOC and IOC that were so eager to deny it ever happened in the first place.

Even if Lochte did make it up, a false report is not worthy of forcibly keeping someone in your country or seizing their passport to me. 

I hope this judge is as vigilant at tackling the serious crime, corruption, and cartels in Rio as he is at this.

hopefully he got out of the country and then got on a plane

On nbc they said that he had checked in (or dome some part of it) online but didn't show up to the airport.

Oh, that pretty, dumb boy.

And here is my major issue. Let's say they did make it up, although I have no idea why, once they leave the country the case can be dropped. Why would you take a passport or keep someone who was leaving in your country even if they made a false report. Let them go, flag them to not be able to come back, and move on

In the video where they are going through security, do they have their wallets? They empty their pocket for the medal detector. If they didn't have their wallets, what would they have done with them? I wonder if they left their drivers license at home or not. I can't imagine making something up and having to deal with the DMV to get a new license.

DH thinks the judge is trying to grift them.

So apparently Brazilian government is saying the x-ray found Lochte's wallet. It looks like a metal detector, not something that would show an image.

Is that a system used just for Olympic Athletes?

I don't think that's is the case at all and has nothing to do with all the other examples you've given.There doesn't seem to be any evidence that a crime took place.

They reported to the world that they had been the victims of a crime allegedly by " two policemen". Further investigation by the federal police revealed that there was no evidence to this happening. There's CCTV's of them arriving at their accommodation three hours later than the time they told the police. According to some reports their wallets and mobile phones were clearly visible on the CCTV's. The investigation and the questioning at the airport, together with the alleged passport confiscation has now moved on to "the possible false communication of a crime" which I'm guessing is likely a crime in Brazil. They searched one of the swimmers room as part of this investigation to ascertain from his mobile phone exactly where he had been on the Sunday evening. If they have in fact made a false allegation I can see no reason that they shouldn't be detained while the police carry out their investigations. They can't seem to find the taxi driver either.

What I can't understand is what possible reason did they have to make up such a story except perhaps for publicity or just for a joke that has backfired on them. Just because they're American it doesn't give them the right to make false allegations, if that is the case, against another country's police.