The U.S. Marine who went missing during a training exercise off the Southern California coast has been declared dead. The U.S. Marine Corps identified him as 21-year-old Lance Corporal Armando Ortiz Canseco of Richfield, Minnesota. He was reported missing shortly after 1 a.m. on June 25 while assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage during integrated training with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. Following an extensive search involving multiple military branches, the U.S. Navy transitioned from rescue to recovery operations the next day. Captain Gary A. Harrington said the loss is deeply felt across the Navy-Marine Corps team, adding that sailors and Marines stand together in supporting Ortiz Canseco’s loved ones and ongoing recovery efforts. Ortiz Canseco enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 2023 and completed recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, earning the title of U.S. Marine in June 2023.
