Sixteen U.S. Marines were arrested Thursday for allegedly having committed various crimes, including human smuggling and drug-related offenses, a statement by the Marine Corps said. They were arrested during a battalion formation at Camp Pendelton, California.
“Information gained from a previous human smuggling investigation precipitated the arrests. None of the Marines arrested or detained for questioning served in support of the Southwest Border Support mission,” the statement read.
The Marine Corps added that eight other Marines were likewise questioned on their involvement in alleged drug offenses not connected to the arrests.
CNN was told by a U.S. official that Thursday’s arrests are related to an incident that happened earlier this month in which two Marines from Camp Pendleton were charged with transporting undocumented immigrants for financial gain.
The complaint says that lance corporals Byron Law II and David Salazar-Quintero were arrested after three illegal immigrants from Mexico were discovered in their vehicle about 20 miles east of the Tecate port of entry.
The three immigrants later told Border Patrol agents that arrangements had been made beforehand for them to be smuggled in the U.S. and transported in Law’s car. Two of them were planning to pay $8,000 to be smuggled into the country, the complaint also says.
Captain Christopher Harrison, Marine Corps spokesman, said the corps “continue to cooperate fully with the investigative efforts into this matter.”
The arrests on Thursday come amid reports that a Navy Seal platoon had been sent home from Iraq as a result of “a perceived deterioration of good order and discipline” due to which a military commander believed the team was no longer capable of accomplishing the mission.
“The commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (in Iraq) ordered the early redeployment of a SEAL Team platoon to San Diego due to a perceived deterioration of good order and discipline within the team during non-operational periods,” U.S. Special Operations Command said in a statement Wednesday.
The decision was made following allegations of alcohol consumption during the team’s downtime – a violation of their orders, said a U.S. Defense Department official.
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