Camp Pendleton main gate reopened after 5-hour closure

The main gate at Camp Pendleton was reopened Wednesday morning after a five-hour closure prompted by the discovery of a suspicious package near the entrance to the Marine Corps base.

The incident began around 3 a.m. when a man tried to enter the base at the gate near Harbor and San Rafael drives but was turned away. The man dropped a suspicious package near the intersection and walked off, an Oceanside police spokesperson said.

The California Highway Patrol shut down ramps from northbound Interstate 5 at Vandegrift Boulevard and Harbor Drive near the base during the incident.

A base spokesperson said the main gate reopened around 8 a.m. He said none of the other gates to the base had been closed during the incident.

No other information was immediately available.