Latest news with #U.S.ArmyNorth
14-06-2025
- Politics
Marines temporarily detain man while guarding LA federal building
LOS ANGELES -- Shortly after they began guarding a Los Angeles federal building Friday, U.S. Marines detained a man who had walked onto the property and did not immediately hear their commands to stop. The brief detention marked the first time federal troops have detained a civilian since they were deployed to the nation's second-largest city by President Donald Trump in response to protests over the administration's immigration arrests. The Marines were activated earlier this week but began their duties Friday. The man, Marcos Leao, was later released without charges and said the Marines were just doing their jobs. A U.S. Army North spokesperson said the troops have the authority to temporarily detain people under specific circumstances. He said those detentions end when the person can be transferred to 'appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel.' Leao's detention shows how the troops' deployment is putting them closer to carrying out law enforcement actions. Already, National Guard soldiers have been providing security on raids as Trump has promised as part of his immigration crackdown. Leao, a former Army combat engineer, said he was rushing to get to a Veterans Affairs appointment when he stepped past a piece of caution tape outside the federal building. He looked up to find a Marine sprinting toward him. 'I had my headphones in, so I didn't hear them,' Leao said. 'They told me to get down on the ground. I basically complied with everything they were saying.' Leao was placed in zip ties and held for more than two hours by the Marines and members of the National Guard, he said. After Los Angeles police arrived, he was released without charges, he said. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said they responded to a call at the scene but weren't needed, and no charges were filed. 'I didn't know it was going to be this intense here," he said later. A U.S. official told the AP that a civilian had stepped over the line. He was warned they would take him down and they did, according to the official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. About 200 Marines out of the 700 deployed arrived in the city Friday, joining 2,000 members of the National Guard that have been stationed outside federal buildings this week in Los Angeles. Another 2,000 Guard members were notified of deployment earlier this week. Before the unusual deployment, the Pentagon scrambled to establish rules to guide U.S. Marines who could be faced with the rare and difficult prospect of using force against citizens on American soil. The forces have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force, the military has said. But the use of the active-duty forces still raises difficult questions. 'I believe that this is an inevitable precursor of things yet to come when you put troops with guns right next to civilians who are doing whatever they do,' said Gary Solis, a former Marine Corps. prosecutor and military judge. He said it's an example of Trump's attempt to unravel the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars active-duty forces from conducting law enforcement.
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Civilian detained by Marines in LA, later released without charges
Shortly after they began guarding a Los Angeles federal building Friday, U.S. Marines detained a man who had walked onto the property and did not immediately hear their commands to stop. The brief detention marked the first time federal troops have detained a civilian since they were deployed to the nation's second-largest city by President Donald Trump in response to protests over the administration's immigration arrests. The Marines were activated earlier this week but began their duties Friday. The man, Marcos Leao, was later released without charges and said the Marines were just doing their jobs. A U.S. Army North spokesperson said the troops have the authority to temporarily detain people under specific circumstances. He said those detentions end when the person can be transferred to 'appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel.' Leao's detention shows how the troops' deployment is putting them closer to carrying out law enforcement actions. Already, National Guard soldiers have been providing security on raids as Trump has promised as part of his immigration crackdown. Leao, a former Army combat engineer, said he was rushing to get to a Veterans Affairs appointment when he stepped past a piece of caution tape outside the federal building. He looked up to find a Marine sprinting toward him. 'I had my headphones in, so I didn't hear them,' Leao said. 'They told me to get down on the ground. I basically complied with everything they were saying.' Leao was placed in zip ties and held for more than two hours by the Marines and members of the National Guard, he said. After Los Angeles police arrived, he was released without charges, he said. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said they responded to a call at the scene but weren't needed, and no charges were filed. 'I didn't know it was going to be this intense here," he said later. A U.S. official told the AP that a civilian had stepped over the line. He was warned they would take him down and they did, according to the official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. About 200 Marines out of the 700 deployed arrived in the city Friday, joining 2,000 members of the National Guard that have been stationed outside federal buildings this week in Los Angeles. Another 2,000 Guard members were notified of deployment earlier this week. Before the unusual deployment, the Pentagon scrambled to establish rules to guide U.S. Marines who could be faced with the rare and difficult prospect of using force against citizens on American soil. The forces have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force, the military has said. But the use of the active-duty forces still raises difficult questions. 'I believe that this is an inevitable precursor of things yet to come when you put troops with guns right next to civilians who are doing whatever they do,' said Gary Solis, a former Marine Corps prosecutor and military judge. He said it's an example of Trump's attempt to unravel the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars active-duty forces from conducting law enforcement.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth orders consolidation and transformation of the Army
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the Army to restructure itself in order to create a 'leaner' force. An April 30 memo, titled 'Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform,' calls for sweeping changes to the service, including consolidating commands, canceling several programs and putting more resources into utilizing and countering drones. Some of the measures outlined, such as the expansion of drones and counter-drone systems into maneuver units and increased electronic warfare capabilities, draw on programs already underway. Others expand on wider military goals, including positioning the Army in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China. 'To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems,' the memo says. The secretary's memo lays out several goals the Army must meet in the name of 'future warfare.' Those include expanding manufacturing capabilities, fielding new long-range missiles by 2027 and achieving 'electronic air-littoral dominance by 2027,' predominantly through expanding the use of uncrewed aerial systems or drones. Some of the most significant structural changes called for include a proposed merger of U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South into a single headquarters rather than two separate force commands. Separately, the memo calls for consolidating Army Futures Command, which focuses on developing new technologies and tactics for soldiers, and Training and Doctrine Command, into a single four-star command. That will be based out of Texas, Army Chief of Staff Randy George said in a separate statement. Overall, Hegseth calls for the closure or consolidation of what he called 'redundant headquarters' and a reduction in the number of generals in the Army in the name of streamlining command chains. A major part of the Army overhaul is the use of drones in the field. Soldiers in several units are already testing different types of uncrewed aerial systems for reconnaissance and offensive purposes, using lessons learned from the applicability of uncrewed aerial systems in the war between Ukraine and Russia. As part of that, every Army division will field drones in some capacity by the end of 2026, Hegseth directs. The memo goes on to call for an expansion of counter-UAS measures as well. Specifically it demands that the Army find more affordable tools for that mission, with those elements integrated into maneuver platoons by 2026, and into maneuver companies by 2027. The integration of more drone capabilities also comes as Hegseth orders a scaling down in other Army features, specifically the number of crewed attack helicopter formations. To augment those reductions, Hegseth also demands the addition of drone swarms that can serve in support of Army aircraft. Another major part of the proposal calls for giving the Army the 'right to repair.' Essentially, that would let the U.S. Army fix its own equipment. Currently, the military has the original manufacturer or other contractors conduct maintenance or heavy repairs on its tools and weapons. That can lead to high costs, often from having to transport the gear and machinery to other locations. The right to repair movement has often focused on civilian consumers, but the memo on the Army outlines how it could help military efficiency. The secretary's memo calls for the Army to 'identify and propose contract modifications for right to repair provisions where intellectual property constraints limit the Army's ability to conduct maintenance.' Beyond the technical integration and components laid out by the directive, the secretary's memo also calls for shifts in manufacturing, acquisition and logistics. Key among the strategic deployments to the Pacific with planting stocks of ammunition and other equipment in locations in the region. In order to help build up those supplies, it also calls for growing American industrial capabilities to avoid running low on munitions and other equipment. The Army has already been working on that, in light of the war in Ukraine, but the directive calls for the industrial base to reach its 'full operational capability' by 2028. Another proposed merger calls for combining units within Army Material Command, with the goal of creating a more streamlined sustainment system, as well as expanding the use of 3D printing by units in the field, to help meet immediate needs. Marine in top enlisted spot leaving the Pentagon after just 2 years Army sergeant found guilty in spree of barracks break-ins and attempted murder End of the 'yeet': the standing power throw is out as new Army fitness test goes 'sex-neutral' for combat jobs Good luck figuring out the Air Force's algorithm for shaving waivers Army cuts athletic trainers from fitness teams, with medics to take up slack
