A police pursuit that spilled onto Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton triggered a six-hour manhunt, temporary shelter-in-place orders, and the seizure of more than 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl, according to military investigators.
The June 12 unraveled when deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 5, the major highway that runs north and south down the West Coast, parallel to the Pacific Ocean. Authorities said the driver exited the freeway and briefly stopped before then accelerating and entering Camp Pendleton through a base gate at around 5:40 p.m.
The suspects allegedly abandoned their vehicle in a military housing area and fled on foot, prompting a large-scale search involving military and civilian law enforcement agencies. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) issued a temporary shelter-in-place order while personnel worked to locate the suspects…