The U.S. Marine Corps has confirmed the death of 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, an infantry rifleman from Florida, fell overboard from the USS Iwo Jima.
Oforah was reported missing in the Caribbean Sea on the evening of Feb. 7, sparking a massive 72-hour search and rescue mission. Despite the deployment of five Navy ships and 10 aircraft from multiple military branches, the search was called off on Feb. 10.
Col. Tom Trimble stated that the loss is “deeply felt” across the Navy-Marine Corps team, adding that the military is currently grieving alongside the Oforah family. An official investigation into the circumstances of the fall is now underway.
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This marks the first American fatality of “Operation Southern Spear,” an ongoing military campaign focused on disrupting maritime drug trafficking networks. Since its launch last year, the operation has resulted in the sinking of 39 suspected smuggling vessels.
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