US Marine Declared Dead After Disappearing From Navy Ship During Training Off Southern California

The accident represents at least the second time in roughly six weeks that U.S. military personnel have gone missing during training operations.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 6/29/2026, 11:48:22 PM EDT

US Marine Declared Dead After Disappearing From Navy Ship During Training Off Southern California — The USS Anchorage, an amphibious transport dock, makes its way up Alaska's Cook Inlet on May 1, 2013. (Mark Thiessen/AP Photo)

A U.S. Marine who vanished from a Navy amphibious ship during a military training exercise off the coast of Southern California has been declared dead, the Marine Corps announced on Monday.

Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, 21, of Minnesota, was declared deceased on June 27, according to a press release issued by I Marine Expeditionary Force. He had been reported missing from the USS Anchorage (LPD 23) in the early morning hours of June 25, setting off a multi-day search and rescue effort.

Military crews spent days scouring roughly 2,400 square miles of Pacific Ocean waters, deploying three surface ships and 12 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force. Despite those efforts, the search-and-rescue was formally ended on June 26, at which point the military shifted to recovery.

The commanding officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Col. Richard Alvarez, expressed his condolences on behalf of the service members under his command.

"On behalf of the Marines and Sailors of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Lance Cpl. Ortiz Canseco," Alvarez said. "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."

Canseco's Enlistment in the Marine Corps

Canseco had enlisted in the Marine Corps on April 3, 2023, when he reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for basic training. He completed recruit training on June 30, 2023, graduating with Platoon 3210, India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion.

He went on to attend the School of Infantry–West and finished the Infantry Marine Course, earning the designation of 0311 Rifleman. He was later assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton before transferring to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. At the time of his disappearance, he had been temporarily assigned aboard the Anchorage as part of integrated training between the 13th MEU and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.

Capt. Gary A. Harrington, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 7, spoke to the broader impact of the loss on the Navy-Marine Corps team.

"The loss of Lance Cpl. Ortiz Canseco is felt deeply across our entire Navy-Marine Corps team," Harrington said. "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."

Ortiz Canseco had been awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon during his service.

The accident represents at least the second time in roughly six weeks that U.S. military personnel have gone missing during training operations. In May, the Army confirmed the recovery of the remains of two soldiers who vanished during exercises in Morocco, ending a multinational search that involved air, naval, and artificial intelligence assets.

The USS Anchorage is homeported at Naval Base San Diego. The circumstances surrounding Ortiz Canseco's disappearance remain under investigation.