Suspects who breached gate at Camp Pendleton apprehended after 6-hour manhunt; drugs seized

Two suspects who breached a base gate at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton were apprehended after a six-hour search, and 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl were seized, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said Saturday.

“Camp Pendleton personnel, alongside multiple federal, state, and local partners, successfully resolved a high-stakes security breach and manhunt aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton,” NCIS said in a statement on Facebook.

Military and law enforcement personnel were involved in the manhunt.

“Following a pursuit by local law enforcement, two suspects breached a base gate and subsequently abandoned their vehicle in base housing and fled the area on foot,” the statement said. “A coordinated, multiagency search was immediately launched, and a temporary shelter-in-place was issued to ensure the safety of the base community.”

NCIS mobilized 30 personnel and used “real-time intelligence and tracking from the NCIS Multiple Threat Alert Center and Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Team.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Camp Pendleton Provost Marshal’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Border Patrol also responded, NCIS said.

Law enforcement officials did not release information about the identities of the suspects or the full range of charges.

There are more than 42,000 active-duty Marines and Sailors stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, in Oceanside, Calif.