Camp Pendleton breach leads to cocaine and fentanyl bust
Los Angeles Times • • nation
Key Points:
- A traffic stop on Interstate 5 escalated into a six-hour manhunt at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County after the driver fled onto the base.
- The two unidentified suspects abandoned their vehicle in base housing, prompting a search by Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and a temporary shelter-in-place order.
- Approximately 30 military personnel conducted the manhunt amid a community of 38,000 military family members and up to 70,000 total daytime personnel on the base.
- Authorities seized 51 kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl from the suspects' vehicle during the investigation.
- Federal authorities will take over the case, and the suspects are expected to face federal charges.