As part of the new national security policies, the U.S. Fleet Forces Command announced that the guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102), an Arleigh Burke-class ship of the U.S. Navy, was deployed on June 3 to conduct patrol duties along the country’s southern border. The vessel will relieve the littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18), an Independence-class vessel, in the area under the responsibility of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). This mission is part of the Department of Defense’s support for efforts to strengthen border security and contribute to the defense of U.S. national territory.
According to the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, the ship deployed with a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) on board, which will provide expertise in maritime interdiction, support border security efforts with Mexico, assist in humanitarian missions, and contribute to the fight against drug trafficking. The deployment of this unit aligns with the nature of the mission, in which U.S. Navy assets have for months played a key role in supporting national security following the current White House administration’s decision to deploy military personnel and assets to the area.
The USS Sampson, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 9, offers a wide range of capabilities as a guided-missile destroyer that match the requirements of the assigned mission, the U.S. Fleet Forces Command stated. It is worth noting that in April, another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Stockdale (DDG 106), was deployed to patrol the Eastern Pacific after operating in the Middle East as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Group. The Stockdale was later replaced in mid-May by the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18).
Lastly, it should be mentioned that both East and West Coast destroyers have been deployed in support of ongoing operations against illicit trafficking and migration control in the region. In this context, last week, the destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107), along with LEDET 401, seized a cocaine shipment valued at USD 13.5 million.
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