The U.S. Coast Guard announced this week that it has interdicted over 80,000 pounds of illegal drugs since the start of the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump, since his inauguration, has prioritized stopping illegal immigration and smuggling into the United States, which primarily happens through the southern border, deeming it a mission for the military. In pursuit of that goal, the Pentagon has deployed thousands of troops to the southern border and designated several South American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
As part of the military’s efforts, the U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for protecting the homeland and waterways off the coasts, deployed the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely last weekend.
The USS Gravely will be in “the Gulf of America and surrounding areas and be involved in the interdiction mission for any of the drugs and whatnot that are heading in,” Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the Joint Staff Director for Operations, told reporters earlier this week.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell noted that “there’s a sea component” to stopping illicit smuggling and immigration, “and that’s part of the mission of the USS Gravely.”
The Coast Guard leads the government’s efforts to defend and control the maritime environment off the U.S. coasts. Since the start of the Trump administration, it has tripled its forces operating on the southern border.
“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. “We are grateful for this crucial support from our teammates at NORTHCOM and the U.S. Navy. These Navy ships provide unique capability to complement U.S. Coast Guard operations to achieve 100% operational control of the border.”
A Coast Guard press release said, “U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) deployed two U.S. Navy warships to the southern border,” though a spokesperson for NORTHCOM told the Washington Examiner that only one, the USS Gravely, had been deployed so far.
NOEM: COAST GUARD MADE LARGEST-EVER COCAINE SEIZURE SOUTH OF US BORDER
“These U.S. Navy warships will operate in direct support of the Coast Guard and carry Coast Guard law enforcement teams that will enable them to shift to Coast Guard control during interdiction operations,” the release said. “As the Coast Guard hardens and sustains its operational posture, including the arrival of these U.S. Navy warships, it is fully integrated with DHS and the Department of Defense (DoD) through NORTHCOM and U.S. Southern Command.”
A U.S. official told Military.com that NORTHCOM would deploy a second destroyer to the southern border later this week.
