The Marine Corps released a video showing 15 Marines being arrested in connection to a human smuggling ring at Camp Pendleton in California.
In July, several members of the 1st Marine Division were arrested for participating in drug and human smuggling rings.
The Marine Corps released a statement explaining that 15 had been arrested for their “alleged involvement in various illegal activities ranging from human smuggling to drug-related offenses.”
The smuggling rings were exposed after two Marines, Lance Cpl. Byron Law and Lance Cpl. David Javier Salazar-Quintero, were arrested by Border Patrol after agents found three undocumented individuals in the back seats of the vehicle.
An investigation found that the Marines may have been raking in cash by smuggling illegal immigrants into the country.
Their arrests sparked an investigation of the whole battalion, in which 15 others were found to be connected to the smuggling.
On July 25, Sgt. Major Matthew A. Dorsey called the full battalion together in a similar fashion to an award ceremony.
He called forward the fifteen Marines connected to the crimes and ordered them to be arrested, saying, “arrest these Marines.”
A few dozen Naval Criminal Investigative Service apprehended the Marines, searching and handcuffing them in front of the rest of the division.
Thirteen were charged with human smuggling and conspiracy while eight others were brought in for further questioning.
A spokesman, 1st Lt. Cameron Edinburgh, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the video was released to provide “proper visibility” to the arrests.
Edinburgh told the Orange County Register, “The command wanted to send a message to make clear this type of behavior is not tolerated.”
