A Navy destroyer has deployed to the Gulf of America on a mission usually reserved for the U.S. Coast Guard to help deter illegal crossings and drug trafficking as part the military’s efforts to bolster security along the southern border.

Navy warship USS Gravely is on a mission to strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border, Pentagon officials said. Why it matters: The deployment of the guided-missile destroyer that last year was involved in shooting down Iran-backed Houthi rebels' ship attacks in the Middle East to a region the U.

Capable of holding over 300 crew members and larger than any Coast Guard vessel, the USS Gravely has been assigned to help tighten border security, operating on both domestic and international waters.