Defense officials stated that the Pentagon has sent a Navy destroyer on an uncommon assignment to enhance safety at the southern U.S. border. This vessel, which was engaged in fighting operations in the Middle East earlier this year, will now patrol areas usually covered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely departed from the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown in Virginia on Saturday as part of the Defense Department’s actions following President Donald Trump’s executive directive aimed at fortifying the southern border. This move exemplifies how the Trump administration is employing the U.S. armed forces domestically to counteract what the president describes as an "influx" or "invasion" occurring at the border.
General Gregory Guillot, who leads the U.S. Northern Command, stated that the addition of the Gravely will enhance America’s capacity "to safeguard the nation’s borders, uphold sovereignty, and ensure national safety." The defense authorities also mentioned in the statement that this move aims at contributing to "an integrated and strong strategy for countering sea-related threats such as maritime terrorism, weapon smuggling, cross-border criminal activities, acts of piracy, ecological damage, and unauthorized oceanic migration."
U.S. defense officials such as Pentagon spokespersons John Ullyot and Sean Parnell have declined to comment on queries regarding whether the Gravely’s deployment aims to compensate for potential shortages of Coast Guard ships or if it serves as a message to local drug cartels. Previously, Trump expressed interest in carrying out military attacks against these cartels.
Trump has consistently stated over the past several weeks that he wants to “take back” The Panama Canal, which links the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, remains a crucial artery for maritime traffic. In a statement released on Sunday, Ullyot mentioned that the Pentagon currently does not have plans to alter the U.S. military presence in Panama. He also stated that the Defense Department stands ready to assist the President in pursuing his national security objectives, particularly concerning the protection of the Panama Canal.
U.S. defense authorities are collaborating with Panama on multiple training exercises and events scheduled for this year. These include troop deployments within the area, which the government believes will reinforce our robust military alliance with Panama," stated Ullyot, not referring to the Gravely specifically. "There exists a solid security collaboration between the U.S. and Panama, grounded in reciprocal respect and confidence."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has consistently stated that he considers border security to be an integral part of national security. As a result, he has deployed thousands of active-duty soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border to enhance security efforts managed by the Department of Homeland Security.
We have protected various locations before," Hegseth stated in February whilst visiting the border for the first time as defense secretary. "And we will protect this boundary.
The use of the Gravely within Northern Command’s area might enable it to patrol areas like the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which Donald Trump redubbed as the Gulf of America upon assuming presidency. This action would permit the administration to highlight the new designation and showcase an emblem of military power in those waters. Although the Panama Canal lies slightly beyond Northern Command’s jurisdictional limits, naval ships often traverse these zones.
On Saturday evening, U.S. defense authorities stated that the destroyer would sail alongside a contingent of Coast Guard personnel onboard. This arrangement suggests the ship might help detain migrants encountered offshore. Typically, Coast Guard members engage in law enforcement activities, whereas military divisions are generally prohibited from doing so under most circumstances due to the restrictions imposed by the Posse Comitatus Act.
The Gravely, which exceeds 509 feet in length, is bigger than any ship in the Coast Guard fleet and houses numerous Tomahawk cruise missiles.
In July, the destroyer concluded a nine-month deployment which the Navy referred to as " unprecedented The deadline for the task was doubled due to the Gravely accompanying the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and intercepting weapons fired by Houthi insurgents in Yemen targeting both civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea.