The family of Lance Corporal Armando Ortiz Canseco, a U.S. Marine who disappeared from the USS Anchorage off the coast of Southern California, is seeking information about the incident. Ortiz Canseco, 21, was declared dead on Saturday after extensive search operations failed to locate him.
The U.S. Navy launched search and recovery operations shortly after Ortiz Canseco was reported missing from the amphibious ship on Thursday. The search involved the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force, who scoured approximately 2,400 square miles for over 43 hours. Three surface ships and 12 aircraft participated in the effort, but no traces of the Marine were found.
Ortiz Canseco, a native of Richfield, Minnesota, was assigned to the USS Anchorage as part of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group during training. He earned the title of U.S. Marine in June 2023 and had previously received the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.
His family held a vigil for him on Sunday at the Oak Grove Lutheran Church in Richfield, praying for his safe return and demanding answers from the Marines, who they say have provided few details about his disappearance. "The Marines say Lance Corporal Armando Ortiz Canseco, a Richfield son, is lost at sea but they are giving few details," a church Facebook post stated. The family is awaiting information regarding Ortiz Canseco's whereabouts, whether alive or deceased.
"The amphibious Navy exists to fight alongside the Marine Corps, and a loss to the Marine Corps family is a loss to our own," Capt. Gary A. Harrington, commodore of Amphibious Squadron 7, 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."