Two suspects were taken into custody after a six-hour manhunt at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, where authorities say they entered the installation during a police chase and abandoned a vehicle loaded with more than 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl.
According to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the incident began when the pair, who were fleeing local law enforcement, crashed through a gate at the base in what NCIS described as a “high-stakes” pursuit.
Investigators said the suspects then ditched the vehicle in a military housing area and ran off on foot, triggering an urgent response across the installation.
The security breach led officials to issue a temporary shelter-in-place order while law enforcement and military personnel worked to lock down the area and search for the suspects.
NCIS said roughly 30 people from multiple agencies joined the operation, which stretched over six hours across the expansive base.
Authorities relied on real-time intelligence and tracking assistance from the NCIS Multiple Threat Alert Center and the Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Team before ultimately locating and arresting both suspects.
Authorities said both suspects were ultimately taken into custody without incident.
Investigators later discovered approximately 51 kilograms — more than 112 pounds — of cocaine and fentanyl inside the suspects’ vehicle, according to NCIS.
“Thanks to NCIS personnel, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, CA, Camp Pendleton Provost Marshal’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration – DEA, US Border Patrol, and other responding agencies, for your seamless teamwork and dedication to keeping our military installations safe!” NCIS posted on social media.
Officials did not immediately release the identities of the suspects or announce what charges they may face.
