US Marines mobilized to Los Angeles are being sent home, Pentagon says [View all]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated 6:02 PM EDT, Mon July 21, 2025


CNN — Roughly 700 active-duty US Marines who were mobilized last month to respond to protests in Los Angeles are being sent home from the mission, the Pentagon said Monday.

“With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Monday, adding that their “rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order.” Parnell announced last week that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had released 2,000 California National Guard members with the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from duty.

The Marines, with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, were mobilized in June and assisted in protecting federal buildings and personnel. They were intended to provide the task force overseeing the federal protection mission in LA “with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency,” US Northern Command said at the time.

There are still another roughly 2,000 California Army National Guard soldiers assigned to the mission who were mobilized later in June. California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement Monday called for the remaining National Guard soldiers to be withdrawn from the state.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/21/politics/us-marines-los-angeles-being-sent-home