Pair of US Navy Ships Collide, Injuring 2 Sailors

A pair of U.S. Navy ships collided on Feb. 11, injuring two U.S. personnel, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has confirmed.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on Feb. 12, a SOUTHCOM spokesman said the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply collided on Wednesday afternoon while conducting an at-sea replenishment.

The SOUTHCOM spokesman said two U.S. personnel reported minor injuries and were in stable condition. The military spokesman did not provide any additional details about the extent of damage the two ships sustained as a result of the collision on Wednesday.

“Both ships have reported sailing safely. The incident is currently under investigation,” he said.

The SOUTHCOM spokesman also did not specify where the two ships were operating when the collision occurred. SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility includes the Caribbean Sea, Central and South America, and their surrounding waterways.

According to a Navy press release, the USS Truxtun set sail from Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia, on Feb. 3, for a scheduled deployment. That press release did not specify the objective of the destroyer’s deployment.

The USNS Supply was photographed on Feb. 7, conducting an at-sea replenishment in the Caribbean Sea for the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

Numerous U.S. warships have been operating in the Caribbean Sea in recent months as part of a broader U.S. force buildup, dubbed Operation Southern Spear, aimed at targeting narcotics trafficking operations and sustaining pressure on Venezuela.

Those U.S. forces supported the Jan. 3 operation to capture then-Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who now faces criminal prosecution in the United States on narcotics trafficking charges.

Before and since capturing Maduro, U.S. forces in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility have also conducted numerous lethal strikes on suspected drug boats, and have enforced a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers sailing to and from Venezuela.

Earlier this month, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale and the U.S. Coast Guard cutters USCGC Stone and USCGC Diligence to relocate to Haiti. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti said the repositioning of these ships is part of Operation Southern Spear and “reflects the United States’ unwavering commitment to the security, stability, and a brighter future for the Republic of Haiti.”

Haiti has been the site of sustained unrest for several years. The July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse has fueled this turmoil, as has a gang war that has spread throughout the capital city of Port-au-Prince.