A young Marine who vanished from a Navy ship during a training exercise has now been declared dead after an exhaustive search failed to find him. The U.S. Marine Corps announced that Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, 21, was officially declared deceased after disappearing from the USS Anchorage in the early hours of June 25. The announcement came after a huge search involving the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force covered roughly 2,400 square miles with three ships and 12 aircraft before rescue efforts shifted to recovery operations. Officials identified Ortiz Canseco on Monday but have released few details about what happened. The circumstances surrounding his death remain 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,” commanding officer Col. Richard Alvarez said. “He earned the title of United States Marine and served his country with honor and commitment.” Capt. Gary A. Harrington said the loss was felt “deeply across our entire Navy-Marine Corps team.” Ortiz Canseco enlisted in 2023, served as a rifleman at Camp Pendleton, and received the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
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