Trump deploys USS Gravely Navy destroyer to US-Mexico border for security

Deployment marks rare use of Navy warship as US boosts enforcement along southern border.

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The US Navy has deployed the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely to strengthen security operations at the US-Mexico border, in a move Pentagon officials described as part of President Donald Trump’s executive orders on border protection.

The USS Gravely departed Naval Weapons Station Yorktown in Virginia on Saturday and is now operating under the US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), which oversees military operations in the continental US, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and surrounding waters up to 500 nautical miles.

The mission marks a rare deployment of a Navy warship to support operations traditionally managed by the US Coast Guard, signaling an escalation in the Trump administration’s border enforcement strategy.

The warship had previously gained attention for intercepting Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks in the Middle East.

USNORTHCOM was designated as the operational lead for military deployments in support of Trump’s border security directives and national emergency declaration.

The command said the USS Gravely “brings maritime capabilities” to bolster efforts by the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection.

The destroyer’s role includes supporting operations against maritime threats such as terrorism, weapons smuggling, transnational crime, piracy, and unauthorised immigration by sea, according to a statement by Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander of USNORTHCOM.

A Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET), a specialized maritime law enforcement unit, is also deployed aboard the USS Gravely. These teams are trained to carry out a range of missions, including counterterrorism, force protection, and humanitarian response.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of US Naval Forces Northern Command, said the deployment “marks a vital enhancement to our nation’s border security framework.”

While US presidents have historically deployed the National Guard or military personnel to the border during times of crisis, the use of a Navy destroyer is considered unusual due to the largely land-based nature of the 1,954-mile US-Mexico border, much of which passes through rugged terrain and the narrow Rio Grande.

Critics have described the move as symbolic, pointing to historically low border crossings and questioning the need for a high-profile naval deployment in an area typically patrolled by the Coast Guard.

The Pentagon did not provide further details on the duration of the mission or future deployments.