Latest news with #AlexusGrynkewich
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Another US Navy destroyer that fought off missiles in the Red Sea has been sent to guard America's southern border
The US military is sending another warship to guard the southern border with Mexico. The destroyer USS Spruance, which fought the Houthis in the Red Sea, will operate off the West Coast. It's the latest military asset to be deployed as part of Trump's border security efforts. A second US Navy destroyer that spent months battling the Houthis in the Red Sea is being sent to the southern border to support military operations there. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance left its home port of San Diego on Saturday to support efforts to "restore territorial integrity" at the southern border, US Northern Command said in a statement. NORTHCOM said that the deployment would contribute to the Pentagon's crackdown on maritime-related criminal activity, including weapons smuggling and illegal immigration. The Trump administration has made combating these issues and drug trafficking a priority and has dispatched a range of military assets to the US-Mexico border. Last weekend, the Navy sent USS Gravely, another guided-missile destroyer, to the southern border. Air Force Lt. Gen Alexus Grynkewich, the director of operations for the Joint Staff, told reporters Monday that the warship will be "involved in the interdiction mission for any of the drugs and whatnot that are heading in." The Spruance, like the Gravely, will be accompanied by a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, operators that specialize in military operations at sea, such as counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, anti-immigration, and combat missions. Destroyers like the Spruance bring a lot of firepower to a fight. They are equipped with 96 vertical launch system (VLS) cells carrying surface-to-air and land-attack missiles, as well as various guns, from the 5-inch deck gun to the Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) to machine guns. The ships also feature electronic warfare capabilities. It's not entirely unusual for these warships to partake in drug interdiction missions, especially since maritime smuggling efforts can be rather sophisticated. Gen. Gregory Guillot, the NORTHCOM commander, said that the Spruance's deployment as part of the southern border mission "brings additional capability and expands the geography of unique military capabilities working with the Department of Homeland Security." "With Spruance off the West Coast and USS Gravely in the Gulf of America, our 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," Guillot added. The Spruance and Gravely are being deployed for a mission very different from the Red Sea conflict in which both vessels fought. On their previous deployments, the Spruance and Gravely spent months shooting down missiles and drones launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen as part of their ongoing attacks on military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Navy has rotated carrier strike groups in and out of the Red Sea repeatedly as part of its efforts to stop the Houthi attacks. Last weekend, the US began a fresh campaign against the rebels and has been hitting them with airstrikes for several days. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Why Navy destroyers are being sent to the southern border mission
The Pentagon made waves Monday when it announced the deployment of the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer Gravely to patrol near the southern border, with a second destroyer reportedly expected to join the effort. U.S. Northern Command announced that the Gravely will be sailing with a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, or LEDET, team on board, with sailors expected to work closely with LEDET personnel as a part of drug trafficking interdictions, according to Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, Joint Staff director for operations. Although it's been called unusual for Navy destroyers to deploy in this role, it is not without precedent. In 2022, the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer Momsen worked with a Coast Guard interdiction team in the Gulf of Oman to intercept $39 million in illegal drugs. The same year, the destroyer Nitze intercepted an estimated $20 million in illicit drugs at sea. And in 2024, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Leyte Gulf and a LEDET team intercepted a semi-submersible craft in the Atlantic packed with 2,370 kilos of cocaine. What is noteworthy about recent developments is not that Navy warships are being used for drug interdiction missions or to counteract transnational crime, but the speed and concentration with which they are being deployed to this area. While many Americans are well aware of drugs entering the country via overland routes across the U.S. land border with Mexico, fewer know the prevalence of maritime drug trafficking and the methods of stifling it. Criminal organizations use a wide variety of vessels and seaborne craft to get illicit drugs into the U.S. These can include fishing boats and submersibles, which are being increasingly operated remotely using new technology. Last August, the Mexican Navy detained 15 individuals after intercepting about 7,200 kilograms of illicit drugs in two high-speed at-sea chases that were captured on video. One trafficking conspiracy saw literal tons of cocaine trafficked from South America to various locations over a period of about seven years starting in 2013. Traffickers in that operation used motorboats which would then carry loads of cocaine to a fishing vessel. The Navy routinely partners with law enforcement agencies to halt traffickers and intercept illegal drug shipments. In 2019, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, working together with the Drug Enforcement Administration, played a role in preventing three Colombian nationals from smuggling an estimated $200 million in cocaine into the U.S. via a submarine. In 2021, the Navy, in collaboration with DEA, opened an interagency counternarcotics facility in Bahrain to make joint operations smoother. Coast Guard LEDET teams, meanwhile, often operate from Navy destroyers, such as the Gravely. The LEDET program, first established in 1982, focuses largely on waterborne drug interdiction. Members of LEDET teams specialize in skills related to interdicting and boarding vessels, humanitarian response and anti-piracy and counterterrorism operations. These personnel regularly deploy with both U.S. Navy and allied vessels. Just last year, the Navy and the Coast Guard — through joint patrols and partnerships with law enforcement — cooperated to stop nearly 15 tons of cocaine from entering the U.S. While the Navy's mission on the southern border is not out of step with operations over the years, the move of warships to the area is indicative of the current administration's attempt to establish a much firmer grip on approaches to the U.S. from the region. 'It's not only vital for the United States to have control of our border via land,' Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a release. 'It's equally important to control our territorial waters, and this deployment directly supports U.S. Northern Command's mission to protect our sovereignty.' As overland routes into the U.S. from across the border with Mexico have become more impassable due to an increased U.S. military presence, transnational criminal organizations — which operate as businesses — will seek to find alternative routes. This month, the Coast Guard announced the interdiction of about $141 million in illicit drugs being smuggled at sea and the arrest of 17 suspected traffickers.
Yemen Online
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Yemen : Houthis claim new attack on American warships, report new US strikes
Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday claimed their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that have sparked mass protests organised by Militians. The rebels also condemned Israel's wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing to escalate their operations in support of Gaza. The Houthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Israeli war on Gaza and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel's aid blockade on the battering Palestinian territory, triggering US backlash and tit-for-tat retaliation. The Houthis said on Telegram they had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the "third in the past 48 hours" in the northern Red Sea. A US defence official said the Huthis "continue to communicate lies and disinformation," adding the Iran-backed group is "well known for false claims minimising the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs". US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was "hard to confirm" the attacks claimed by the Huthis as the rebels were missing their targets "by over 100 miles" (160 kilometres). No Huthis 'without Iran' Houthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and the capital Sanaa early Tuesday -- after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting "Death to America, death to Israel!" in Sanaa. There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran. The protests came after Washington launched a fresh campaign of air strikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, aiming to pressure the Houthis into ending their attacks on Red Sea shipping. The US strikes killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the Houthis stop attacking shipping, with US President Donald Trump warning he will hold Iran accountable for any further attacks carried out by the Tehran-backed group. "Every shot fired by the Huthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible," Trump posted on social media. Iran called his statement "belligerent". In a televised interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthis do "not exist" without Iran. "Without Iran, there is no Houthi threat of this magnitude," he said. "They created this Frankenstein monster, and now they got to own it." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had "no authority" to dictate Tehran's foreign policy. 'Hell will rain down' Just two days ago, the Houthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels' leadership. They were the first US strikes since Trump returned to office in January. US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday's strikes "targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out". The Huthis have not responded to Waltz's claim. The Pentagon said on Monday it had struck 30 targets in its ongoing campaign in Yemen. The United Nations urged both sides to "cease all military activity" while expressing concern over Houthi's threats to resume their Red Sea attacks. Before this weekend's targeting of the US carrier group, the Houthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began. Trump has warned the Yemeni group that "hell will rain down upon you" if it does not stop its attacks. Costly detour While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 per cent of world shipping traffic, Houthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa. A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, showed more than 130 Houthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels and Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023. The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Houthi targets under President Joe Biden. Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Houthi missile fire towards Israeli territory. The rebels control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa. They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis. Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled since the Houthis began their attacks.
Daily Tribune
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Huthis claim new attack on American warships, report new US strikes
Email : Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for their third attack on American warships within 48 hours on Tuesday, despite U.S. airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed group, which have led to widespread protests. In a statement on Telegram, the Houthis reported that they launched missiles and drones at the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group, marking the third attack in the northern Red Sea in just two days. A U.S. defense official dismissed the Houthi claims, accusing the rebels of spreading "lies and disinformation." The official added that the group is notorious for downplaying the impact of U.S. strikes while overstating their own successes. U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich noted that the attacks claimed by the Houthis were difficult to confirm, as the rebels were reportedly missing their targets by over 100 miles (160 kilometers). Houthi media also reported new U.S. airstrikes on Yemen on Monday, following large protests in the capital, Sanaa. Demonstrators, many armed with rifles, daggers, or holding Korans, chanted slogans such as 'Death to America, death to Israel!' Protests were also seen in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, as well as in Dhamar, Hodeidah, and Amran, according to footage from the rebels' Al-Masirah TV station. "We will never back down – we defy the Americans, we defy the Zionists," a man shouted to the crowd in Sanaa, which responded, "We are the men of the Prophet." These demonstrations followed a series of U.S. airstrikes on Yemen that began on Saturday, part of an effort to pressure the Houthis to cease their attacks on Red Sea shipping. Since the start of the Gaza war, the Houthis have targeted vessels traveling through this major trade route, citing solidarity with Palestinians. According to the Houthi-run health ministry, the U.S. strikes on Saturday killed 53 people and injured 98. The rebels' media outlets, including Al-Masirah and Saba, reported further airstrikes on Monday night in Hodeidah and Al-Salif, with additional strikes on Sanaa early Tuesday. The U.S. has pledged to continue its airstrikes on Yemen until the Houthis halt their attacks on shipping, with President Donald Trump warning that any further actions by the Tehran-backed group would hold Iran accountable.
Al-Ahram Weekly
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Houthis claim new attack on American warships, report new US strikes - Region
Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday claimed their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that have sparked mass protests organised by the group. The rebels also condemned Israel's wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing to escalate their operations in support of Gaza. The Houthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Israeli war on Gaza and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel's aid blockade on the battering Palestinian territory, triggering US backlash and tit-for-tat retaliation. The Houthis said on Telegram they had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the "third in the past 48 hours" in the northern Red Sea. A US defence official said the Huthis "continue to communicate lies and disinformation," adding the Iran-backed group is "well known for false claims minimising the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs". US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was "hard to confirm" the attacks claimed by the Huthis as the rebels were missing their targets "by over 100 miles" (160 kilometres). No Huthis 'without Iran' Houthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and the capital Sanaa early Tuesday -- after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting "Death to America, death to Israel!" in Sanaa. There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran. The protests came after Washington launched a fresh campaign of air strikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, aiming to pressure the Houthis into ending their attacks on Red Sea shipping. The US strikes killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the Houthis stop attacking shipping, with US President Donald Trump warning he will hold Iran accountable for any further attacks carried out by the Tehran-backed group. "Every shot fired by the Huthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible," Trump posted on social media. Iran called his statement "belligerent". In a televised interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthis do "not exist" without Iran. "Without Iran, there is no Houthi threat of this magnitude," he said. "They created this Frankenstein monster, and now they got to own it." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had "no authority" to dictate Tehran's foreign policy. 'Hell will rain down' Just two days ago, the Houthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels' leadership. They were the first US strikes since Trump returned to office in January. US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday's strikes "targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out". The Huthis have not responded to Waltz's claim. The Pentagon said on Monday it had struck 30 targets in its ongoing campaign in Yemen. The United Nations urged both sides to "cease all military activity" while expressing concern over Houthi's threats to resume their Red Sea attacks. Before this weekend's targeting of the US carrier group, the Houthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began. Trump has warned the Yemeni group that "hell will rain down upon you" if it does not stop its attacks. Costly detour While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 per cent of world shipping traffic, Houthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa. A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, showed more than 130 Houthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels and Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023. The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Houthi targets under President Joe Biden. Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Houthi missile fire towards Israeli territory. The rebels control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa. They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis. Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled since the Houthis began their attacks. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
