16 Marines arrested on human smuggling and drug-related allegations
SAN DIEGO _ Sixteen Marines were arrested at Camp Pendleton on Thursday morning during battalion formation for various illegal activities ranging from human smuggling to drug-related offenses, the 1st Marine Division said in a statement.
The Marine Corps said information from a previous human smuggling investigation led to the arrests. On July 3, two Marines _ Byron Darnell Law II and David Javier Salazar-Quintero _ were arrested for allegedly transporting unauthorized immigrants as part of a smuggling operation.
Eight additional Marines were questioned about other alleged drug offenses unrelated to the arrests, the Marine Corps said.
The Marine Corps confirmed the Marines involved in Thursday's action are from the same unit as Law and Salazar-Quintero _ 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
Division officials and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service carried out the arrests. The 16 arrested range in rank from private first class to corporal, or E-2 to E-4, according to 1st Lt. Cameron Edinburgh, a division spokesman.
Names of the arrested Marines and details of the alleged offenses were not immediately released.
_The San Diego Union-Tribune
