By admin 
SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Marine who went missing during a training exercise off the coast of Southern California has been declared dead, authorities announced on Monday.
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Lance Cpl. Armando Ortiz Canseco, 21, of Minnesota, was declared dead on Saturday.
Canseco was reported missing two days before from the USS Anchorage during integrated training between the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The USS Anchorage is an amphibious transport dock ship based at Naval Base San Diego.
“On behalf of the Marines and Sailors of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Lance Cpl. Ortiz Canseco,” said Col. Richard Alvarez, the commanding officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. “He earned the title of United States Marine and served his country with honor and commitment. We mourn alongside his family, and we remain committed to bringing him home.”
Crews began searching for the Marine early Thursday morning, shortly after midnight, according to a Navy news release. The Navy transitioned from search-and-rescue efforts to a search-and-recovery operation Friday evening.
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The search covered about 2,400 square miles and involved three surface ships and 12 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force, officials said.
It’s at least the second time in six weeks that the U.S. military has been forced to look for missing members. The remains of the second of two U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during military exercises in Morocco were recovered in May, the Army said, ending a multinational search operation that deployed air, naval and artificial intelligence assets.
“The loss of Lance Cpl. Ortiz Canseco is felt deeply across our entire Navy-Marine Corps team,” said Capt. Gary A. Harrington, the commodore of Amphibious Squadron 7. “The amphibious Navy exists to fight alongside the Marine Corps, and a loss to the Marine Corps family is a loss to our own. 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.”
Canseco enlisted in the Marines in April 2023, according to officials. His individual awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
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The incident remains under investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.