U.S. forces in Okinawa impose restrictions after the arrest of a Marine suspected of killing a woman in a hotel/ Service members will not be allowed to travel outside the bases between midnight and 5:00 a.m.

U.S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa will be prohibited from traveling outside the bases between midnight and 5:00 a.m. starting Friday, following the arrest of a Marine suspected of killing a woman in a hotel in Naha. The measure aims to strengthen discipline within the U.S. military community.

Before the restriction takes effect, the troops will participate in a 48-hour operational pause starting Wednesday at noon. During this period, military personnel will not be allowed to leave the bases during their free time and will not be permitted to consume alcohol, either inside or outside them.

Twenty-year-old Devin Ballard is suspected by Japanese police of robbing and killing 39-year-old Anna Yagi in a hotel in Naha. The woman’s body was found in the room, and investigators believe she may have been strangled. The serviceman was later arrested in an entertainment district in Okinawa City.

The case sparked protests and reignited criticism of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Governor Genta Koja accused the authorities of failing to make disciplinary measures and human rights education work. Japan sent the United States an official protest and requested cooperation in the investigation.

Okinawa hosts nearly 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan and the majority of the approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in the country.