U.S. Navy sends USS St. Louis to southern border mission under U.S. Northern Command to strengthen maritime drug interdiction operations

The U.S. Navy deployed the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS St. Louis from Mayport on September 13 to support U.S. Northern Command’s southern-border maritime mission, replacing USS Cooperstown. Working with the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, the ship will support interdiction of illegal drugs and other unlawful activity under maritime homeland-defense authorities. U.S. Second Fleet is directing the effort through Maritime Command Element-East, providing planning, coordination and command and control. The assignment places a fast near-shore combatant within a wider interagency security operation rather than a conventional naval combat deployment.