A US Marine was arrested in the early hours of October 31 on suspicion of driving a passenger car while under the influence of alcohol on a national road in Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture, police said.
The arrest came during a period when US forces stationed in Okinawa were under an off-base curfew, imposed after a robbery-murder in Naha. The Marine was detained for driving at a time when leaving base was barred.
Police did not give the Marine's name, age or unit, or the results of any breath test. NHK did not report how the arrest was made or whether the Marine has admitted the allegation.
The curfew is one of the discipline measures US forces in Okinawa have applied to personnel after the Naha case. The arrest is the latest to test whether those measures hold.