Cargo operations at one Port of Long Beach terminal were temporarily halted on Wednesday evening, Oct. 8, after a potential World War II-era explosive was discovered in the ground.
The explosive device was discovered at Pier G early Wednesday evening during construction work, according to a port spokesperson. By 9 p.m., the device had been removed and operations at the terminal had returned to normal.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad, alongside a U.S. Marine Corps unit, responded to handle the removal, the port said. The Long Beach Police and Fire departments and U.S. Coast Guard also set up a safety perimeter around the area where the explosive was found and evacuated the terminal.
Cargo operations at that terminal — one of six at the Port of Long Beach — were put on pause temporarily as emergency personnel responded to the situation.
“The device, which seemed to be a World War II-era shell, was found during construction operations at the terminal,” the port said, and was “removed Wednesday evening by a U.S. Marine Corps ordnance disposal team for off-site neutralization” after they determined it was safe to do so.
Operations at the port have returned to normal.
Originally Published: October 9, 2025 at 12:32 PM PDT