US Marine Dies After Going Overboard USS Iwo Jima

 

Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine from Florida, was declared dead on February 10, 2026, after a massive 72-hour search-and-rescue operation in the Caribbean Sea. He fell overboard from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) on the evening of February 7 while conducting operations.

Key Details of the Incident

Search Effort: The multi-branch operation involved five U.S. Navy ships, a rigid-hull inflatable boat, and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

Military Role: Oforah was an infantry rifleman with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

Mission Context: His death is reportedly the first U.S. military fatality associated with Operation Southern Spear, a Trump administration initiative targeting drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean. The USS Iwo Jima had recently been used to transport captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Ongoing Investigation: While military officials have expressed deep grief for the loss, the specific circumstances of how he fell overboard remain under investigation.

Oforah, who enlisted in October 2023, was a resident of Jacksonville, Florida. His death marks the first known U.S. military casualty associated with Operation Southern Spear.