1st Lt. Marciano Parisano. U.S. Army

A U.S. Army soldier was found dead on a riverbank several miles from an airbase in Honduras this weekend, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

The body of 1st Lt. Marciano Parisano, 25, was found off base in Comayagua, a city in the west-central part of the country, the U.S. Army said. At 2:00 p.m. local time on May 3, a person reported finding a body on the banks of the Chiquito River, according to a newsletter from the Honduran National Police. Police immediately went to the scene, police said, and launched an investigation. During a search of the area, police found a damaged cell phone that allegedly belonged to Parisano, according to police.

Comayagua is about five miles from Soto Cano Air Base, where Parisano was stationed. Parisano was there on leave, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

The Honduran National Police said that the agency had already identified suspects in the case, and ruled out robbery as a potential motive.

The investigation into Parisano's death is being led by the Honduran National Police, in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Honduras and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Department, the Army and Honduran National Police both said.

Parisano was a UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot with the 1st Battalion, 228 Aviation Regiment, the Army said. He graduated from West Point in 2023, then attended aviation training school at Alabama's Fort Novosel. He earned the rank of 1st Lt. on Nov. 27, 2024. Soto Cano Air Base was his first duty station.

During his military career, Parisano was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge [gold], Air Assault Badge, and Army Aviation "wings," the Army said.

"Our deepest sympathies are with the Parisano family and our Soto Cano family while we mourn the loss of 1st Lt. Marciano Parisano," said U.S. Army Col. Daniel Alder, Joint Task Force-Bravo commander, in a statement.

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