Navy
USS Charleston joins border security mission
Stars and Stripes
May 21, 2025
Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston moors at Naval Base San Diego in 2023. (U.S. Navy)
Another Navy ship has deployed to the southern border.
The USS Charleston, an Independence-variant littoral combat ship, departed Naval Base San Diego on Tuesday as part of U.S. Northern Command’s mission to help deter illegal crossings and drug trafficking, the service said in a news release.
Charleston takes over duties previously carried out by guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale, which deployed to the border April 11.
Charleston has deployed with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET), which brings specialized expertise in maritime interdiction to help address a range of challenges, from countering illegal activities to supporting humanitarian efforts and homeland security operations.
More than 10,000 troops — including active-duty soldiers and Marines and National Guard forces — have been deployed as part of the border security mission.