South
Navy deploys additional warship to curb illegal immigration, drug smuggling at the southern border
The Navy on Saturday announced another destroyer has been sent to the southern border to aid in the ongoing maritime efforts to curb illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
Navy officials said the USS Spruance, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, departed Naval Base San Diego Saturday to support southern border operations.
The goal of the mission is to restore territorial integrity at the U.S. southern border, according to a statement from the Navy.
The USS Spruance deploys to a U.S. Northern Command Area of Responsibility (U.S. Navy)
PENTAGON DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIP THAT FOUGHT HOUTHIS TO NEW US SOUTHERN BORDER MISSION IN LINE WITH TRUMP ORDER
Spruance will enhance maritime efforts, support interagency collaboration and contribute to a coordinated and robust response to combating maritime-related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction and illegal seaborne immigration, according to the statement.
“USS Spruance’s deployment as part of U.S. Northern Command’s southern border mission brings additional capability and expands the geography of unique military capabilities working with the Department of Homeland Security,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, USNORTHCOM commander.
He added that with Spruance off the West Coast and the USS Gravely, a recently deployed destroyer in the Gulf of America, the Navy’s maritime presence “contributes to the all-domain, coordinated DOD response to the Presidential Executive Order and demonstrates our resolve to achieve operational control of the border.”
TRUMP’S USE OF WARSHIP FOR BORDER ENFORCEMENT A ‘SMART’ USE OF MILITARY FORCE, EXPERT SAYS
A group of over 100 illegal migrants attempt to enter the U.S. at the southern border by rushing a border fence March 21, 2024. (James Breeden for New York Post/Mega)
Coast Guard officials told Fox News Digital earlier this month that hundreds of migrant boat encounters were logged near the San Diego coast in the last 90 days, prompting the allocation of additional resources.
Spruance will bring maritime capabilities to the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) in response to executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, a national emergency declaration and clarification of the military’s role in protecting the territorial integrity of the U.S.
The combatant command “continues to fill critical capabilities gaps in support of DHS and CBP,” according to the statement.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) returns to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anderson W. Branch)
The destroyer will be accompanied by an embedded U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) created in 1982.
Coast Guard LEDETs carry out a variety of maritime interdiction missions, including counter-piracy, military combat operations, alien migration interdiction, military force protection, counter-terrorism, homeland security and humanitarian response.
Spruance returned to Naval Base San Diego Dec. 19, 2024, after a five-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG).
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The strike group was ordered to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to bolster U.S. military force posture in the Middle East, deter regional escalation, degrade Houthi capabilities, defend U.S. forces and sail alongside allies and partners to promote security, stability and prosperity, Navy officials said.
“Assigned destroyers of the ABECSG, to include Spruance, were essential to providing a layer of defense to U.S. forces and ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels and partner nations transiting in international waterways like the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden,” according to the statement.
Atlanta, GA
Two Georgia residents monitored after cruise ship hantavirus outbreak, health officials say
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is actively monitoring two Georgia residents who recently returned home after disembarking from the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak that has raised concerns among global health officials.
According to DPH, both individuals are currently in good health and have shown no signs of infection. They are adhering to the latest recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak, which was first reported earlier this week, has health experts on alert due to the rare nature of hantavirus transmission aboard cruise ships.
According to CBS News reporting, the virus typically spreads through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, and human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare. The MV Hondius incident marks an unusual case, prompting heightened surveillance and coordination between public health agencies worldwide.
CBS News further reports that the cruise ship, which had been traveling through polar regions, has been thoroughly sanitized, and all passengers have been advised to monitor their health closely.
The CDC and international health agencies are working to trace possible sources of exposure and ensure that protocols are in place to prevent further spread.
At this time, the Georgia DPH emphasizes that there is no immediate risk to the public.
The two monitored residents continue to remain symptom-free, serving as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and rapid response in managing emerging infectious disease threats.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – It will be something new for canal visitors to dig.
“This is a huge shot in the arm, it’s a most visited park by far and you couldn’t be more excited by the opportunity,” said Mayor Garnett Johnson.
The opportunity is this new canal trail that will connect the Village at Riverwatch to the canal trail by crossing over a new pedestrian bridge spanning the canal, leading visitors to even more amenities.
“It’s going to be great. We’re going to have fishing pods off the bridge, we’re going to have a kayak launch a nature walk through the wetlands at the clearing, we’re anticipating having musical groups there,” said Russ Gambill, Interim Canal Authority Director.
The improvements are funded in large part by a $3 million-dollar state DNR grant.
“We worked hard on it with Russ Gambill, with several, to make sure the Department of Natural Resources recognized the unique and regional draw of this and the connectivity it provides. We were excited to get the maximum amount,” said State Rep. Mark Newton.
Augusta must provide a 30 percent match. Those funds are part of the next special purpose sales tax on the May 19th ballot.
Work will take about a year and a half before canal visitors will be able to cross this bridge when they come to it.
“We already have two existing bridges that people use every day, but this one being so connected to one of our most visited shopping centers in the region, certainly will assist,” said Mayor Johnson.
It’s a major step for enhancing the canal.
Law enforcement officers from across North Carolina made a stop in downtown New Bern as part of a multi-day bicycle ride to Washington, D.C.
The riders are part of the Police Unity Tour, an annual event that brings together officers from cities including Charlotte, Durham and Greenville. Participants are cycling hundreds of miles to take part in National Police Week.
The ride is held to honor officers who have died in the line of duty, with each mile dedicated to their memory.
“It is just as much mental as it is physical. We just take it one leg at a time,” said Maj. Brian Harrison of the Durham Police Department. “It’s the stops like this where we get to honor our brothers and sisters in blue that have fallen in the line of duty. They just make it worth it.”
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The group will continue traveling north over the next several days, with their journey ending in Washington, D.C., at the National Law Enforcement Memorial.
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