Marine convicted of ordering synthetic marijuana through the mail in Okinawa

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – A Japanese court has imposed a suspended sentence on a U.S. Marine convicted of bringing a synthetic drug to Okinawa by mail.

Lance Cpl. Gianmarco Benitez Perez, 22, of Camp Hansen, was sentenced Friday to two years and six months in prison by a three-judge panel, a Naha District Court spokeswoman said by phone Monday.

The sentence will be suspended for four years, she said. Benitez Perez will not serve time in a Japanese prison, provided he commits no further offences.

A spokesman for the 3rd Marine Logistics Group declined to identify Benitez Perez’s unit and would not say whether he will face further disciplinary action from the Army.

“The Marine Corps has a strict zero-tolerance policy when it comes to illicit or illicit drugs and takes these allegations seriously,” Capt. Brett Vannier said by email Monday. “We will continue to adhere to the (Status of Forces Agreement) and work with our Japanese partners to address this and any future incidents covered by the SOFA.”

The U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement establishes the legal implications for the U.S. military population, along with its rights and responsibilities.

Details of the case were not made public before the trial and sentencing, a spokesman for the Okinawa Prefectural Police said by telephone on Monday. A spokesperson for the Naha District Public Prosecutor’s Office, reached by telephone on Monday, referred questions to the court.

Some Japanese government officials are only allowed to speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

Benitez Perez ordered 1.2 ounces of the drug, known as MDMB, on the Internet, according to a report Saturday by the Okinawa Times. The package containing the drugs was intercepted by Okinawa Regional Customs in April, the report said.

Prosecutors have asked for a prison sentence of two years and six months, the report said.

MDMB is a synthetic cannabinoid, a substance made in a laboratory that mimics the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, MDMB and other designer drugs were introduced in Europe before appearing in the United States in 2008.

The DEA decided in 2023 to classify MDMB and five other similar substances as Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. According to the federal government, Schedule 1 drugs, such as LSD, heroin and marijuana, have no current medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Suspension of sentences for U.S. military and Defense Department civilian employees for importing drugs into Okinawa through the mail is not uncommon.

A Marine convicted in December of importing LSD received an 18-month suspended prison sentence; an airman, his wife and his mother received suspended sentences ranging from one and a half to two years in January for sending vape pens containing cannabis liquid into the country.