Sixty-four U.S. sailors, including 49 assigned aboard the aircraft carrier that buried Osama bin Laden at sea, have been expelled for using, possessing or selling a designer drug called "spice" that mimics the effects of marijuana.

"The use of designer drugs, to include Spice, is illegal, and the Navy continues to aggressively investigate the use of synthetic drugs and hold those in violation accountable," Vice Adm. Gerald Beaman, commander of the Third Fleet, said in a written statement Thursday, according to KTLA.com in Los Angeles.

Three sailors from the USS Carl Vinson were caught smoking spice in a fan room, sparking an investigation that led to the identification of other users and sellers on the carrier, where the body of bin Laden was brought after Navy SEALs killed him in his Pakistan hideout.

Three sailors suspected of selling the synthetic drug face further legal action, the Navy said.

The other 15 discharged sailors were caught after three sailors on the USS San Francisco tested positive for cocaine and triggered a separate investigation.

No criminal charges were filed against the 64 sailors, but some will be court-martialed if their violations of Navy rules merit it, said Capt. Greg Hicks of the Third Fleet.