U.S. Army Soldiers Missing in Lithuania as Mystery Deepens
Four U.S. Army soldiers have disappeared in Lithuania.
The soldiers "are currently missing in Lithuania in a training area near Pabradė," the U.S. Army Europe and Africa wrote in a March 26 press release.
Their vehicle has now been found submerged in water.
"The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the four missing U.S. Soldiers were operating during a training exercise has been located in Lithuania," the Army announced in an updated release.
"The vehicle was discovered submerged in a body of water in a training area after a search by U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and other Lithuanian authorities. Recovery efforts are underway by U.S. Army and Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies."
"The Soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident," the Army wrote in its initial release.
'I would like to personally thank the Lithuanian Armed Forces and first responders who quickly came to our aid in our search operations,' said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, the V Corps commanding general, in the release. 'It's this kind of teamwork and support that exemplifies the importance of our partnership and our humanity regardless of what flags we wear on our shoulders.'
The soldiers have not been named.
NATO walked back comments from Secretary-General Mark Rutte indicating the soldiers had died, according to The Associated Press.
'The search is ongoing,' NATO said in a statement posted to its spokesperson's X page. 'We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
US Marines temporarily detain a civilian — an Army veteran — for the first time in LA
Marines deployed to Los Angeles temporarily detained a civilian on Friday, the U.S. military confirmed after being presented with Reuters images, in the first known detention by active-duty troops deployed there by President Donald Trump. The incident took place at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles where Marines took charge of the mission to protect the building earlier on Friday, in a rare domestic use of U.S. troops after days of protests over immigration raids. Reuters images showed Marines apprehending the man, restraining his hands with zip ties and then handing him over to civilians from the Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. military confirmed that Marines deployed to Los Angeles in the wake of the anti-ICE riots have detained U.S. civilian Marcos Leao, 27, an Army veteran. REUTERS Asked about the incident, the U.S. military's Northern Command spokesperson said active duty forces 'may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances.' 'Any temporary detention ends immediately when the individual(s) can be safely transferred to the custody of appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel,' a spokesperson said. Speaking to reporters after he was released, the civilian identified himself as Marcos Leao, 27. Leao said he was an Army veteran on his way to an office of the Department of Veterans Affairs when he crossed a yellow tape boundary and was asked to stop. Leao, who gained his U.S. citizenship through military service, said he was treated 'very fairly.' 'They're just doing their job,' said Leao, who is of Angolan and Portuguese descent. The 200 Marines and more than 2,000 National Guard now deployed to Los Angeles are tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel. They will be joined by an additional 500 Marines and 2,000 more National Guard soldiers. This means that they will accompany ICE agents on raids, officials have said. The troops are authorized to detain people who pose a threat to federal personnel or property, but only until police can arrest them. Military officials are not allowed to carry out arrests themselves. The Posse Comitatus Act generally forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement. Trump could take a more far-reaching step by invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Marines Arrive in Los Angeles as City Braces for ‘No Kings' Protests
As cities across the nation brace for 'No Kings' protests on June 14, Donald Trump deployed 700 Marines to Los Angeles, with 200 troops arriving Friday to guard the Wilshire Federal Building — the latest provocation in the president's militarized answer to immigration enforcement and protest policing. Marines have already carried out the first known detainment in the city. Reuters obtained photographs of armed Marines temporarily detaining a civilian. The U.S. military confirmed the incident, which took place at the Wilshire Federal Building, to the outlet. The New York Times reported that the individual said he was an Army veteran and tried to reach the Veteran's Affairs office located past caution tape. The man said he was undisturbed by his brief detention. Earlier this week, the commander overseeing military operations in the city said that military personnel can only temporarily detain people but cannot make arrests. The move to have Marines involved in local police work tests the boundaries of the Posse Comitatus Act, which broadly prohibits the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement. The pictures have surfaced a day after a federal judge attempted to place a restraining order on Trump's move to federalize 4,000 California National Guard Troops. (That injunction has since been stayed by an appeals court.) The judge did not address the role of Marines under Trump's command, writing that he would await a court date to weigh evidence as to whether these federal forces were engaging in police-like behavior including 'interrogating, detaining, or searching civilians.' Trump has long dreamed of using military force to counter his domestic opposition. On June 6, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeted warehouses, clothing manufacturers, and Home Depot parking lots across Los Angeles, prompting a wave of local protests. Trump seized the opportunity to exert control over the state, deploying 2,000 National Guard troops into the city despite protests from both California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass. The president has since mobilized as many as 4,000 members of the California National Guard along with the 700 Marines to deploy in Los Angeles. On Thursday, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was dragged out of a Department of Homeland Security press conference, forced to the ground, and handcuffed by members of the FBI after attempting to ask DHS Secretary Kristi Noem a question. Padilla later said in a press conference that he was 'there peacefully' and was hoping to get answers from the administration about their immigration policies. 'I began to ask a question,' the senator recalled. 'I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed,' he said, clarifying: 'I was not arrested. I was not detained.' Padilla then addressed reporters: 'If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question you can only imagine what they're doing do farmers … and day laborers.' Millions are expected to protest President Trump's military parade on his birthday (which is also Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the Army). The president has planned for a procession of tanks, Howitzers, mobile rocket launchers, and other war machines to roll through the streets of Washington, D.C., as military aircraft, including Apache helicopters, fly overhead. Protest organizers have called June 14 a 'nationwide day of defiance.' The protest website reads: 'They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.' Trump has threatened demonstrators planning to show up at his military spectacle, declaring, 'If any protester wants to come out, they will be met with very big force.'More from Rolling Stone Trump's Military Crackdown Is Starting To Dent His Poll Numbers Kim Gordon Has Words for Donald Trump on Re-Recorded 'Bye Bye 25!' Trump Calls on Iran to Agree to Nuclear Deal 'Before There Is Nothing Left' Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Marines Arrive in Los Angeles as City Braces for ‘No Kings' Protests
As cities across the nation brace for 'No Kings' protests on June 14, Donald Trump deployed 700 Marines to Los Angeles, with 200 troops arriving Friday to guard the Wilshire Federal Building — the latest provocation in the president's militarized answer to immigration enforcement and protest policing. Marines have already carried out the first known detainment in the city. Reuters obtained photographs of armed Marines temporarily detaining a civilian. The U.S. military confirmed the incident, which took place at the Wilshire Federal Building, to the outlet. The New York Times reported that the individual said he was an Army veteran and tried to reach the Veteran's Affairs office located past caution tape. The man said he was undisturbed by his brief detention. Earlier this week, the commander overseeing military operations in the city said that military personnel can only temporarily detain people but cannot make arrests. The move to have Marines involved in local police work tests the boundaries of the Posse Comitatus Act, which broadly prohibits the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement. The pictures have surfaced a day after a federal judge attempted to place a restraining order on Trump's move to federalize 4,000 California National Guard Troops. (That injunction has since been stayed by an appeals court.) The judge did not address the role of Marines under Trump's command, writing that he would await a court date to weigh evidence as to whether these federal forces were engaging in police-like behavior including 'interrogating, detaining, or searching civilians.' Trump has long dreamed of using military force to counter his domestic opposition. On June 6, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeted warehouses, clothing manufacturers, and Home Depot parking lots across Los Angeles, prompting a wave of local protests. Trump seized the opportunity to exert control over the state, deploying 2,000 National Guard troops into the city despite protests from both California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass. The president has since mobilized as many as 4,000 members of the California National Guard along with the 700 Marines to deploy in Los Angeles. On Thursday, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was dragged out of a Department of Homeland Security press conference, forced to the ground, and handcuffed by members of the FBI after attempting to ask DHS Secretary Kristi Noem a question. Padilla later said in a press conference that he was 'there peacefully' and was hoping to get answers from the administration about their immigration policies. 'I began to ask a question,' the senator recalled. 'I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed,' he said, clarifying: 'I was not arrested. I was not detained.' Padilla then addressed reporters: 'If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question you can only imagine what they're doing do farmers … and day laborers.' Millions are expected to protest President Trump's military parade on his birthday (which is also Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the Army). The president has planned for a procession of tanks, Howitzers, mobile rocket launchers, and other war machines to roll through the streets of Washington, D.C., as military aircraft, including Apache helicopters, fly overhead. Protest organizers have called June 14 a 'nationwide day of defiance.' The protest website reads: 'They've defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.' Trump has threatened demonstrators planning to show up at his military spectacle, declaring, 'If any protester wants to come out, they will be met with very big force.'More from Rolling Stone Trump's Military Crackdown Is Starting To Dent His Poll Numbers Kim Gordon Has Words for Donald Trump on Re-Recorded 'Bye Bye 25!' Trump Calls on Iran to Agree to Nuclear Deal 'Before There Is Nothing Left' Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
