"We have faith and hope that Armando will be back home with us as he told us," said the family of Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco
Credit: U.S. Marine Corps
NEED TO KNOW
- Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco has been declared dead after he disappeared from a ship during training off the coast of Southern California on June 25
- Canseco’s family described him as a hero and urged military officials to continue efforts to bring him home
- The 21-year-old Marine had recently been temporarily assigned aboard the USS Anchorage for training
A U.S. Marine has been declared dead after he disappeared during training, officials said.
Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, 21, of Minnesota, was reported missing from amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage on the morning of Thursday, June 25, according to a press release from the Marines.
Canseco disappeared during training operations off the coast of Southern California, military officials said.
An “extensive search and rescue operation” was subsequently launched, and has since transitioned into a recovery operation.
The incident remains under investigation.
Canseco's family said they hope the U.S. Marine will eventually be found, and asked military officials to continue the search for him, according to CBS News.
The family reportedly also said Canseco “is a kind, loving and great son, brother and uncle” and described him as a hero.
"We have faith and hope that Armando will be back home with us as he told us. We are waiting for him to come back home," the family said in a statement.
Canseco enlisted in the Marine Corps on April 3, 2023. After completing recruit training, he completed the Infantry Marine Course and became a 0311 Rifleman, according to officials.
The Minnesota native was later assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before transferring to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, military officials said. He was recently temporarily assigned aboard Anchorage in preparation for training.
During his time in the military, Canseco received the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Capt. Gary A. Harrington, the commodore of Amphibious Squadron 7, said Canseco’s death “is felt deeply across our entire Navy-Marine Corps team.”
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“The amphibious Navy exists to fight alongside the Marine Corps, and a loss to the Marine Corps family is a loss to our own,” Harrington said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” said Col. Richard Alvarez, the commanding officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Alvarez continued, “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.”
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