Japanese police in Okinawa Prefecture have arrested an American soldier on suspicion of drunk driving amid tensions following a U.S. serviceman's involvement in the murder case of a local pregnant woman due to give birth.
A Japanese police spokesperson revealed that authorities arrested a U.S. Air Force captain on Saturday, 14 Nov 2026 GMT+7, on suspicion of drunk driving in Okinawa Prefecture. This arrest marks the latest conflict amid tensions between U.S. personnel and local residents.
This arrest occurred just one week after the Japanese and U.S. governments reached a joint agreement on measures to prevent crimes committed by U.S. military personnel on Okinawa Island, following a widely condemned murder case believed to involve a U.S. Marine.
Currently, about 54,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, most of them in Okinawa Prefecture. However, over recent years, several crimes involving U.S. personnel have occurred, becoming a point of tension in the close security alliance between the two countries.
Additionally, last week U.S. authorities announced an extension of a curfew order for junior personnel until 7 Dec 2026 GMT+7, including a ban on all troops drinking alcohol outside their residences between midnight and 05:00.
The Okinawa police spokesperson told AFP that the latest 27-year-old soldier was arrested while "driving a car on a road in Okinawa city at about 03:09 on Saturday," though it remains unclear if he violated the curfew order.
Kyodo News reported that the arrested captain is assigned to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture.
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Source:cna