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USS Spruance Joins USS Gravely in Unprecedented Naval Border Security Deployment

The destroyers are tasked with combating smuggling, illegal immigration, and transnational crime under President Trump's executive orders.

U.S. Navy Spruance Class destroyer USS O'Brien (DD 975) receiving a load of palatized cargo for delivery to other ships in the battle group.
The destroyer USS Spruance, seen from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Middle East region in November 2024.
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Overview

  • The USS Spruance departed Naval Base San Diego on March 22, 2025, to patrol the West Coast as part of a maritime border security initiative.
  • It joins the USS Gravely, which has been operating in the Gulf of Mexico since March 15, 2025, marking an expanded geographic scope for the mission.
  • Both destroyers are equipped with U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement teams to conduct interdiction missions targeting smuggling and illegal maritime activities.
  • This deployment reflects a shift in U.S. border security strategy, addressing the increasing use of maritime routes by criminal organizations.
  • The operation builds on prior successes, with the U.S. Coast Guard having interdicted over 80,000 pounds of illegal drugs since 2017.