The United States has deployed the guided missile destroyer USS Gravely in the Gulf of Mexico, a move that has triggered reactions from the Cuban regime.
The USS Gravely, belonging to the Arleigh Burke class, departed on March 15, 2025, from the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, Virginia, with the aim of strengthening border security and combating drug trafficking in the region.
This ship is equipped with advanced weapon systems, including Tomahawk missiles, and has a detachment of the U.S. Coast Guard specialized in maritime interdiction operations. Its main mission is to assist in the interception of drug shipments attempting to enter the country by sea, according to the Pentagon.
Amid the presence of this warship near its territorial waters, the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla condemned the U.S. military movement, stating that it represents a threat to regional stability and noting that “this military presence in the area poses a threat to the security and peace of Latin America and the Caribbean”.
On her part, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, informed that the United States previously notified about the deployment of the USS Gravely and assured that the vessel operates in international waters, posing no threat to Mexico.
Sheinbaum emphasized that these actions are part of the monitoring strategies against drug trafficking, similar to those carried out by the Secretary of the Navy in Mexico.
International analysts point out that, although such operations are not unusual in the Gulf of Mexico, the current political context, marked by the , has heightened the perception of an escalation in bilateral tensions.
So far, Washington has not directly responded to the accusations from the Cuban government.
In June 2024, the United States deployed two destroyers, the USS Truxtun and the USS Donald Cook, along with the coast guard vessel Stone and a Boeing P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, to monitor the arrival of a Russian flotilla in Cuba.
The Russian fleet included the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" and the nuclear-powered submarine "Kazan."
In January of this year, the U.S. Coast Guard initiated an immediate deployment of naval assets at the maritime border with Cuba, following executive orders from the White House.
This movement aimed to strengthen security in the waters near the island and curb irregular migration and drug trafficking in the international waters surrounding the U.S.
Furthermore, monitoring has intensified along the maritime border around Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories, including Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Efforts have also been focused on the maritime border between the Bahamas and southern Florida, the southwestern maritime border between the U.S. and Mexico in the Pacific, and the maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico.
FAQ about the deployment of the USS Gravely in the Gulf of Mexico and the Cuban response
Why did the United States deploy the USS Gravely to the Gulf of Mexico?
The USS Gravely was deployed to enhance border security and combat drug trafficking in the region. The mission of the vessel, equipped with advanced weapon systems and a detachment from the U.S. Coast Guard, is to intercept drug shipments attempting to enter the country by maritime means.
How has the Cuban regime reacted to the deployment of the USS Gravely?
The Cuban chancellor, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, expressed his condemnation of the deployment, asserting that it poses a threat to regional stability and the peace of Latin America and the Caribbean. This reaction is set against a backdrop of bilateral tensions due to the Trump administration's policy towards Cuba.
What did Mexico say about the presence of the USS Gravely in the Gulf of Mexico?
Mexico was previously notified about the deployment of the USS Gravely and assures that the vessel operates in international waters, posing no threat to the country. President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that these actions are part of surveillance strategies against drug trafficking, similar to those carried out by the Navy in Mexico.
What is the political context surrounding this naval deployment in the Gulf of Mexico?
The deployment comes in the context of a hardening of U.S. policy towards Cuba under the administration of Donald Trump. Previously, the U.S. had deployed naval assets at the maritime border with Cuba to curb irregular migration and drug trafficking, raising tensions in the region.
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