Dozens of Marines have been hit with less-than-honorable discharges — and one was sent to prison — in the months since federal agents swarmed their infantry battalion last summer on suspicion of human-smuggling operations.
Twenty-four members of the California-based 1st Marine Division have faced judicial or administrative action over human-smuggling or drug-related offenses associated with arrests made during a July battalion formation, Maj. Kendra Motz, a spokeswoman for the unit, told Military.com.
A screen grab from a YouTube video shows Marines being arrested during formation at Camp Pendleton in July, 2019. (Screen capture)
One of those Marines has been confined to the brig for 18 months, she said.
Nine of the most serious cases were sent to courts-martial. Eight of the Marines facing trial pleaded guilty, Motz said, and have since been dismissed from the military under less-than-honorable conditions, including two bad-conduct discharges.