Navy Bans Alcohol for All 18,600 U.S. Sailors in Japan After DUI Crash

The ban follows the arrest late Saturday of Petty Officer 2nd Class Aimee Mejia, 21

The U.S. Navy slapped a drinking ban on sailors stationed in Japan on Monday and halted off-base liberty after police arrested a U.S. sailor on the southern island of Okinawa on suspicion of drunk driving following a car crash that injured two people, NBC News reported. 

"For decades we have enjoyed a strong relationship with the people of Japan. It is imperative that each sailor understand how our actions affect that relationship and the U.S.-Japan alliance as a whole," Rear Adm. Matthew Carter, commander of U.S. naval forces in Japan, said in a statement Monday.

The United States has 18,600 sailors stationed in Japan.

The ban follows the arrest late Saturday of Petty Officer 2nd Class Aimee Mejia, 21, who is assigned to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. Mejia drove the wrong way on a freeway and crashed into two vehicles late Saturday, a police spokesman said.

Contact Us