Navy criminal investigators are probing whether two Navy SEALs strangled to death an Army Green Beret in Mali, the New York Times reported Sunday.
"NCIS can confirm we are investigating the death of SSGT Melgar in Mali but beyond that, NCIS does not discuss the details of ongoing investigations," spokesman Ed Buice told AFP, adding the agency took over the case from the Army's Criminal Investigation Command on September 25.
Staff Sergeant Logan Melgar, 34, was found dead on June 4 in shared embassy housing in Mali's capital Bamako -- where he was posted with special operations forces working on training and counterterrorism efforts -- and his superiors quickly suspected "foul play" in the death, the Times said.
A military medical examiner ruled Melgar's death a homicide by strangulation, officials told the paper.
The unidentified Navy SEALs have been placed on administrative leave, the Times said -- but no official statement has been released and nobody has been charged in connection with the death.