U.S. Marine Declared Dead After Missing from USS Anchorage

A U.S. Marine has been declared dead after going missing from a Navy ship during training off the Southern California coast last week. The I Marine Expeditionary Force identified the service member as Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, a 21-year-old from Richfield, Minnesota.

Ortiz Canseco was reported missing from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage early on the morning of June 25. The Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force immediately launched a large-scale search and rescue operation. Over 43 hours, crews covered approximately 2,400 square miles of ocean using three surface ships and 12 aircraft.

After the extensive search failed to locate him, the mission transitioned to a search and recovery operation late on June 26. Ortiz Canseco was officially declared dead on June 27.

At the time of the incident, Ortiz Canseco was temporarily assigned to the USS Anchorage in preparation for integrated training between the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 2023 and completed recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Following training as an infantry rifleman, he was...