section_path: History/US Marines scandal
section_name: US Marines scandal
paragraph_text: US Marines scandal
  
  In 2020, 24 US Marines were discharged after an investigation over their alleged involvement in drug crimes and a human smuggling operation along the US–Mexico border. The investigation began when US Border Patrol agents arrested two marines for transporting three illegal Mexican immigrants on July 3, 2019. A few weeks later 16 marines and a US Navy sailor were arrested on base during a battalion formation on July 25, 2019. The last arrest occurred on December 2, 2019, when a marine was caught transporting two illegal Chinese immigrants near the border.
  
  The ring leader of the human smuggling operation was identified as Francisco Saul Rojas-Hernandez. Some of the marines in court said Francisco Saul Rojas-Hernandez would pay them $1,000 per person that they helped transport. 8 marines plead guilty, however some of the marines had their charges dropped after a judge said that the arrest of the 16 marines in front of a battalion formation was a violation of their rights. The US Marine Corps still took administrative or judicial action against the 24 marines involved. According to 1st Lieutenant Cameron Edinburgh, one marine received a general discharge under honorable conditions, at least one marine received a dishonorable discharge, two received bad conduct discharges, and 19 received other than honorable discharges. The Navy sailor was also removed from service with a bad conduct discharge.