(TNND) — A U.S. Marine reported missing during a training exercise off the coast of Southern California last week has been declared dead, according to military officials.
Crews began searching for Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, 21, shortly after midnight Thursday, after he was reported missing from the USS Anchorage during integrated training between the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Navy said in a news release.
Search-and-rescue efforts transitioned to search-and-recovery operations Friday evening. The I Marine Expeditionary Force later said Ortiz Canseco was lost at sea and declared deceased on June 27. Officials have not released additional details about his disappearance, and the incident remains under investigation.
“On behalf of the Marines and Sailors of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Lance Cpl. Ortiz Canseco,” Col. Richard Alvarez, commanding officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a statement. “He earned the title of United States Marine and served his country with honor and commitment. We mourn alongside his family, and we remain committed to bringing him home.”
Ortiz Canseco enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 2023 and earned the title of U.S. Marine in June 2023, according to officials. After completing recruit training and the Infantry Marine Course, he became a 0311 rifleman and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, at Camp Pendleton.
He was later transferred to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment and most recently was temporarily assigned to the USS Anchorage to participate in training with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.
Ortiz Canseco’s awards included the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
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His death comes about six weeks after the U.S. military recovered the remains of the second of two Army soldiers who went missing during military exercises in Morocco, ending a multinational search operation that deployed air, naval and artificial intelligence assets.