The guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, USS Gravely, docked on Friday, April 25, at the port of Veracruz after spending more than a month in international waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The USS Gravely is an Arleigh Burke-class ship that departed on March 15 from the Naval Weapons Station in Virginia.
Mexican federal authorities have not provided official information about the ship's arrival at the port of Veracruz, but local sources reported that naval personnel were received by elements of the Secretariat of the Navy. According to U.S. sources, the USS Gravely was sent to contribute to the southern border mission between the United States and Mexico, in response to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump regarding immigration issues.
Gregory Guillot, commander of the Northern Command of the United States, mentioned last month that the presence of the USS Gravely in the region "enhances our ability to protect the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security of the United States," and contributes to combating various maritime threats such as terrorism, arms proliferation, transnational crime, and illegal maritime immigration.
The U.S. Department of Defense explained that the mission of the USS Gravely includes the interception of drugs entering U.S. territory along with the U.S. Coast Guard. Equipped with an arsenal that includes Standard missiles, torpedoes, a 5-inch gun, and a crew capacity of up to 312 people, the destroyer plays an important role in the region's maritime security.
The news of the USS Gravely's deployment raised questions and criticisms, to which President Claudia Sheinbaum clarified that the ship's mission is to monitor international waters where drug shipments could arrive. The Mexican leader confirmed that the USS Gravely is in international waters under international navigation norms, respecting national sovereignty.
For her part, Sheinbaum mentioned that the United States has the authority to send warships equipped with missiles to international waters, emphasizing that the USS Gravely has participated in international missions, including operations against rebels in Yemen.
