21-Year-Old U.S. Marine Declared Lost At Sea After Disappearing From USS Anchorage During Training Mission

A U.S. Marine has been declared dead after going missing from the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage during a military training exercise off the Southern California coast.

Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, 21, was reported missing shortly after 1:20 a.m. on June 25 while serving aboard the San Antonio-class USS Anchorage (LPD-23), according to the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).

He had been temporarily assigned to the ship for integrated training involving the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.

The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force launched a search-and-rescue operation involving three ships and 12 aircraft. The search lasted more than 43 hours and covered about 2,400 square miles off the Southern California coast.

After no sign of Ortiz Canseco was found, officials declared him deceased on June 27 and changed the mission from search and rescue to search and recovery.

Military officials have not said how Ortiz Canseco went overboard or what led to his disappearance. 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 MEU, 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.”

Capt. Gary A. Harrington, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 7, also offered condolences, saying the Navy stands with the Marine Corps and Ortiz Canseco’s family as recovery efforts continue.

“The amphibious Navy exists to fight alongside the Marine Corps, and a loss to the Marine Corps family is a loss to our own. We are a resilient force, and we continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of Lance Cpl. Ortiz Canseco’s loved ones and our ongoing recovery operations,” Harrington said.

Ortiz Canseco enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 2023 and earned the title of U.S. Marine on June 30, 2023, after completing recruit training with Platoon 3210, India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion.

He then completed the Infantry Marine Course at the School of Infantry-West and qualified as a 0311 Rifleman. He was first assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton before transferring to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.

Marine officials said he was temporarily assigned to USS Anchorage to prepare for the integrated training exercise.

During his service, Ortiz Canseco received the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

His family held a candlelight vigil at Oak Grove Lutheran Church in Richfield, Minnesota, on Sunday. According to a Facebook post by the church, the family is seeking more information about what happened and wants him brought home.

Recovery operations are continuing, while I MEF said the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ortiz Canseco’s disappearance remains ongoing.

References: USNI, nypost