U.S. Northern Command is working with the Department of Homeland Security to augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Navy assets are operating under maritime homeland defense authorities to support interdiction missions targeting illegal drugs and other unlawful activity.
“Our crew has trained relentlessly for this deployment, and they stand ready for whatever challenges lie ahead. I could not be more proud to lead these Sailors,” said Cmdr. Lester Shewmake, commanding officer of USS St. Louis.
USS St. Louis is homeported at Mayport, Florida, and assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2. The vessel is designed for fast, agile operations in near-shore environments and can operate independently or alongside larger surface combatants.
U.S. 2nd Fleet is directing the maritime effort as Maritime Command Element-East under U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command. The command provides operational planning, coordination and command and control for joint missions ordered by U.S. Northern Command.
Its responsibilities include preparing maritime forces for homeland defense, civil support and theater security cooperation. The current deployment places USS St. Louis within the military component of a wider interagency border-security operation.
USS St. Louis was the 22nd littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy and the 10th Freedom variant to enter the fleet. It is the seventh U.S. Navy vessel to carry the name.
The first St. Louis was a sloop of war launched in 1828. It patrolled the coasts of the Americas and served as flagship of the West Indies Squadron during operations to suppress piracy in the Caribbean, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico.
