Overview
- Cpl. Andrew Paul Amarillas, 23, pleaded not guilty in Phoenix on Thursday and a judge ordered him jailed pending trial.
- Prosecutors say the ammunition technician stole at least one non‑demilitarized Javelin missile system and thousands of rounds from Camp Pendleton from February 2022 to November 2025, then moved the cache to Arizona to sell through co‑conspirators; a Javelin is a shoulder‑fired anti‑tank weapon the public cannot legally possess unless demilitarized.
- Investigators cite text messages and photos, including a Javelin with a serial number he had signed out at the School of Infantry West, along with ammo lot numbers traced from the Tooele Army Depot to Camp Pendleton.
- Undercover buys and searches in Arizona led to seizures of a Javelin and ammunition on October 10 and 17 and November 20, 2025, and agents say some stolen items are still unaccounted for.
- Agents arrested Amarillas in Virginia on March 5 and transferred him to Arizona, and if he is convicted on the outlined charges he faces up to 25 years in prison according to court records.