The United States Department of Defense confirmed the deployment of the USS Gravely destroyer, an Arleigh Burke class, to conduct anti-drug operations and border security in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship departed from the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station in Virginia, bound for the Gulf of America, where it will support missions of the U.S. Northern Command.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized the importance of this deployment, noting that for the United States, it is crucial not only to control its land border but also its territorial waters. "This deployment directly supports the mission of the U.S. Northern Command to protect our sovereignty," Parnell added.
Lieutenant General of the Air Force, Alexus Grunkewich, director of operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained that the USS Gravely will participate in intelligence and drug interdiction missions. "The USS Gravely will head to the Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico) and its surroundings, where it will participate in the mission to intercept many of the drugs entering U.S. territory," detailed Grunkewich.
This deployment underscores the United States' commitment to border security and the fight against drug trafficking, especially in the waters close to its coasts.
In February, the presence of three U.S. military vessels was reported about 32 nautical miles off the coast of Ensenada. One of the vessels is the US Gov Vessel, used for military operations, while the other is the supply ship Usns Henry J. Kaiser. The third vessel is located near the other two, but details of the ship could not be reviewed on the specialized portal Marine Traffic.
Additionally, the flight of a Boeing RC-135V Rivet Joint, a U.S. espionage aircraft, was detected over the Sea of Cortez or Gulf of California. This situation generated controversy due to the political tension between the two North American countries.
