US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 11 pledged cooperation with Japanese authorities in the investigation into allegations that a US Marine killed a woman in Okinawa, according to the US State Department.
According to the State Department, Rubio held a phone call with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu to discuss the case. He expressed sincere condolences over the death of a Japanese citizen in Okinawa and affirmed the United States' determination to communicate and cooperate fully with the Japanese government as well as local authorities during the investigation.
Earlier, local police said Devin Jacob Ballard, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was arrested on October 4 on charges of robbing and killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in the prefectural capital Naha. According to local media, the victim was strangled to death and her purse was taken. Ballard has denied the charges.
The case has sparked outrage in Japan, where crimes involving US forces have long been a sore point in relations between the two close security allies and have fueled criticism of the US military presence. Japan currently hosts the largest overseas deployment of US forces, with the majority of the 18,000 US Marines stationed in Okinawa.
After the killing, US military personnel stationed there were placed under a one-month curfew and banned from drinking alcohol during a period of disciplinary training.
During the call, Rubio and Toshimitsu also discussed US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the upcoming G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, expected to begin on October 30.
