Rubio pledges US cooperation in Marine-linked murder case

What the report says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington will cooperate with Japanese authorities investigating the killing of a woman in Okinawa that has drawn renewed attention to crimes involving American forces in Japan. According to Al Jazeera, Rubio made the pledge in a call with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu after the case sparked protests and prompted new US military restrictions.

The report says Devin Jacob Ballard, a US Marine stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was arrested on October 4 on suspicion of robbing and murdering Anna Yagi, 39, in a hotel in Naha, the Okinawan capital. Local police say the woman was found dead in the hotel, and Japanese media reported that she was choked and had her wallet stolen. Ballard has denied the allegations, Al Jazeera reported.

The killing has intensified long-running debate in Japan over the US military presence, particularly on Okinawa, which hosts a large share of US forces in the country. In response, US military personnel on the island have been placed under a monthlong curfew, barred from drinking alcohol and required to undergo discipline training, according to the article.

Al Jazeera also reported that Rubio expressed condolences and discussed other issues with Motegi, including US sanctions on the International Criminal Court and an upcoming G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Atlanta.