Washington: Sixteen US Marines were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in various illegal activities ranging from human smuggling to drug-related offences, the US Marine Corps said. The arrests took place during a battalion formation on Thursday morning at the Camp Pendleton in California, a base camp located about an hour's drive from the US-Mexico border, CNN reported.
"Information gained from a previous human smuggling investigation precipitated the arrests," the statement said. A US official told CNN that Thursday's arrests are related to an incident that occurred earlier this month in which two Marines from Camp Pendleton were charged with transporting undocumented immigrants for financial gain. Byron Law II and David Salazar-Quintero, both lance corporals, were arrested after their vehicle was pulled over by Border Patrol agents about 20 miles east of the Tecate port of entry.
