SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Military officials identified two Marines based out of Camp Pendleton in Southern California who were killed in a crash during a convoy movement in New Mexico on Tuesday.
The Marines were identified as Lance Cpl. Albert A. Aguilera, 22, and Lance Cpl. Marcelino M. Gamino, 28, according to a news release from Capt. Charles Kimbrough with the 1st Marine Division.
Aguilera, of Riverside, California, was a combat engineer with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. He enlisted in March 2023 and was promoted to lance corporal in May 2024, according to the release.
Gamino, of Fresno, California, was a combat engineer with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. Gamino, who enlisted in May 2022 and was promoted to lance corporal in August 2024, received accolades including the National Defense Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
The crash occurred near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The two Marines were taken to University Medical Hospital, El Paso, Texas, where they later died.
“The loss of Lance Cpl. Aguilera and Lance Cpl. Gamino is deeply felt by all of us,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tyrone A. Barrion, the commanding officer for 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and Task Force Sapper. “I extend my heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families of our fallen brothers. Our top priority right now is to ensure that their families, and the Marines affected by their passing, are fully supported during this difficult time.”
Another Marine with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion remains in critical condition, military officials confirmed.
All three Marines were deployed to the southern border as part of President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The crash is under investigation.