The U.S. Coast Guard conducts operations with the USS Spruance
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 28, 2025) “A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60T conducts flight operations with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, March 28, 2025. U.S. Navy assets are employed under U.S. Northern Command’s maritime homeland defense authorities with a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked to enable maritime interdiction missions to prevent the flow of illegal drugs and other illegal activity. U.S. Northern Command is working together with the Department of Homeland Security to augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the Southern border with additional military forces.” (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter)
Below is a Coast Guard District 11 news release.
I believe, this is the first time Navy units operating under Third Fleet have been involved in Migrant interdiction efforts. With USS Spruance on the West Coast and USS Gravely on the Gulf coast, its obvious DOD has been told to show up.
Small numbers of Navy ships, usually frigates or littoral combat ships, have routinely engaged in drug interdiction under the direction of Forth Fleet and SOUTHCOM, and have rescued migrants during unusual surges of immigrants like the Mariel Boat Lift of 1980.
For short periods during the first Trump administration, Navy ships were surged to Forth Fleet to augment drug interdiction efforts.
NORTHCOM has played little part in maritime interdiction of any kind, apparently satisfied that DHS was handling the job.
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 28, 2025) Members of the U.S. Coast Guard conduct small boat operations with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) and U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Terrell Horne (WPC 1131) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, March 28, 2025. U.S. Navy assets are employed under U.S. Northern Command’s maritime homeland defense authorities with a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked to enable maritime interdiction missions to prevent the flow of illegal drugs and other illegal activity. U.S. Northern Command is working together with the Department of Homeland Security to augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the Southern border with additional military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter)
While I don’t think these destroyers will add much to the already substantial effort already being made by the Coast Guard and its regular partners, they do provide a degree of missile defense to the US coast that has been missing and a ready response in the event of a maritime terrorist attack in their vicinity, so I am glad to see them underway. US Navy crews may be overworked, but it is not because their ships are underway too much. The average USN combatant is underway less than 90 days a year.
Certainly, there is a desire to show results. There is an implication rather than a statement that the people on the boat were attempting to enter the US, but that is not really clear. “50 miles southwest of San Diego” suggests that the boat was in the Mexican EEZ, well South of the border, and a 35 foot boat is not typical of the Panga-style boats recently intercepted smuggling migrants along the West Coast. It could have broken down off San Diego and drifted South? Had the boat been tracked heading North? Did the American own the boat? Was the boat destroyed after the passengers and crew were removed? Time will tell.
Coast Guard Cutter Active and partnership agencies interdict a migrant vessel, approximately 20 miles off the coast of Point Loma, California, Jan. 27, 2025. The crew of Active, the Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne and U.S. Customs and Border Protection members worked together to interdict this illegal migrant operation, which had 21 individuals aboard. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)
Coast Guard, Navy rescue 18 people from disabled vessel off San Diego coast
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest Phone: (206) 815-6689
SAN DIEGO – A Coast Guard Air Station San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and the crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) rescued 17 aliens and one American aboard a disabled and adrift vessel approximately 50 miles southwest of San Diego Sunday.
A 35–foot vessel with 18 individuals aboard was spotted in international waters taking on water and requesting assistance around 7:55 a.m.
The Spruance launched a 7-meter rigid hull inflatable boat crew to assist. The 18 individuals were rescued from the water and safely brought aboard the Spruance.
Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector San Diego then launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to transport the persons from Spruance to Coast Guard Sector San Diego.
All 17 aliens and the one American were brought to Sector San Diego over two separate flights due to passenger constraints.
The 18 individuals were transferred to Department of Homeland Security partners.
Irregular maritime migration aboard unseaworthy or overloaded vessels is always dangerous, and often deadly. Do not take to the sea. You could lose your life. We remain steadfast in our commitment to saving lives and discouraging anyone from taking to the sea in ways that are unsafe and illegal.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
According to recent reports, USS Normandy is also patrolling the maritime border.
Interesting bit of information from USNI article (Guillot is NORTHCOM commander):
“What is also happening as security is tightened is a violent struggle between cartels to regain their sources of income as both Mexico City and Washington crack down on the trafficking of humans and drugs, Guillot said.
At the same time, Guillot told the panel the cartels are using one-way suicide unmanned aerial systems to attack the U.S. Border Patrol to regain crossing points. Shooting down drones “is the only change I requested” in what active-duty forces would be allowed to do under existing law, said Guillot.”
USS Normandy has been working with Guyana.
Well, I stand corrected…though in terms of world geography, perhaps fairly close by 😉
It appears USNI updated their story on the drone attacks too, rewriting the second paragraph I quoted:
“U.S. officials have said Border Patrol agents and military members are at risk from potential attack drones from cartels in Mexico, according to regional press reports.”
Spruance also worked with USCGC Forrest Rednour (WPC-1129) and a Customs and Border Protection air and maritime operations interceptor, the day after it deployed, to apprehend a suspect vessel with 13 people aboard, according to a NORTHCOM post on X.
https://news.usni.org/2025/03/31/uss-spruance-coast-guard-rescue-18-people-off-of-san-diego-coastline
@dvandyk90 Another report (above) said that USS Normandy had deployed to the region without saying where in the region. Editors then interpret, so I am not surprised that someone said Normandy was also guarding the border.
It is a hazard to depart from quoting word for word.