The U.S. Navy is deploying a second warship to patrol waters off the U.S. southern border as part of the Trump administration’s immigration and border security crackdown.
Military.com was the first to report that a second warship was to be deployed, citing an anonymous U.S. official. USNI News later reported that the exact warship to be deployed was USS Spruance (DDG-111), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, deploying from Naval Station San Diego.
The Coast Guard appeared to confirm the Navy’s plan to deploy a second warship earlier in the week when it announced Tuesday that its ongoing interdiction efforts involved cooperation with multiple Navy vessels. The Coast Guard’s statement read, “U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) deployed two U.S. Navy warships to the southern border to support Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Coast Guard operations.”
“We are now leveraging U.S. Navy capabilities with Coast Guard teams aboard to augment our forces off Southern California and Texas.” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting Coast Guard commandant.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command announced last week that USS Gravely’s primary mission will focus on patrolling the Gulf of Mexico, covering coastal waters off Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana.
Caudle elaborated that the East Coast ship would focus heavily on Gulf of Mexico operations, while any West Coast ships would operate in the waters near San Diego, monitoring maritime traffic moving between Mexico and the United States.
Deploying two destroyers for border patrol operations is an unusual move for the Navy. While Navy ships frequently conduct short-term patrols in NORTHCOM waters, extended deployments are rare outside of disaster response operations. According to the official speaking to Military.com, there has been no comparable mission since U.S. forces occupied Veracruz, Mexico, in 1914.
