Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, a 21-year-old Marine from Florida (of Nigerian descent), fell overboard from the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) in the Caribbean Sea on February 7, 2026. After an exhaustive 72-hour search involving multiple assets, he was officially declared deceased on February 10, 2026. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and had joined the Marine Corps in October 2023, completing boot camp in February 2024.
This is reported as the first U.S. military death associated with Operation Southern Spear, a U.S. military campaign in the Caribbean region that escalated in late 2025 and early 2026.
The operation involved increased naval presence and actions against sanctioned vessels and narcotrafficking, culminating in the high-profile capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in early January 2026.
Following their capture in Caracas, Maduro and his wife were transported by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima before being transferred to the United States for legal proceedings.
This is a tragic loss for the Marine Corps and Oforah’s family.
