• The US Navy dispatched three of its destroyers to support the military's southern border mission.
• USS Stockdale's captain explained to BI that his warship is an ideal platform for this mission.
• He said the Stockdale brings high-end comms and sensors to the table, along with an embarked helicopter.

The captain of one of three US Navy destroyers that deployed this spring to support the military's southern border mission after spending months battling the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea says his warship was well-suited to both assignments.

Amid questions of whether the southern border deployments were overkill, the military acknowledged that it was "a bit unique to deploy a capability of this level for this mission set." But it sent an unmistakable message.

Unlike the Red Sea mission, at the southern border, the value of these warfighting ships isn't as much the firepower they bring to a potential fight but rather the capabilities that other vessels lack, such as robust communications and sensor suites, and endurance.

Cdr. Jacob Beckelhymer, the commanding officer of USS Stockdale, told Business Insider that the maritime security missions are familiar taskings and "part of the broad set of things that destroyers do."

The Stockdale just recently returned to its homeport in San Diego after spending weeks deployed off the coast of southern California in support of US military operations at the southern border.

Transnational criminal operations coming out of Mexico were at the top of the US intelligence community's 2025 Annual Threat Assessment, and the Trump administration has made cracking down on maritime criminal activity, from illegal immigration to human and drug trafficking, priorities.

In addition to thousands of military personnel, the administration has dispatched a range of military assets to the border area, including the three destroyers that battled the Houthis last year.

The Stockdale, like USS Spruance and USS Gravely, had an embarked US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment for its southern border deployment. These are Coast Guard teams that specialize in law-enforcement operations at sea, such as counterterrorism, counter-piracy, and anti-immigration missions.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like the Stockdale are equipped with missile tubes that carry a mix of surface-to-air and land-attack munitions and different guns, such as a five-inch deck gun, machine guns, and a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System.

This extensive loadout was needed to battle the Houthis, as the Stockdale and other Navy warships routinely came under rebel missile and drone attacks. The warships faced a very different threat environment at the southern border than in the Red Sea. Beckelhymer said Stockdale's weapon system was in a "different configuration" since they didn't expect to be shot at. At the southern border, the emphasis was on other capabilities.

"The sensor suite is incredible. My surface radar tracking ability, I think, far exceeds what we normally see, particularly on the smaller Coast Guard cutters," Beckelhymer said. "And then I've also got a much larger team."

He touted the ship's combat information center, a multimission room with many monitors that display maps and radars, as an essential tool for monitoring possible smuggling situations and recommending whether it's worth following up.

As Henry Ziemer, an Americas Program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, previously wrote, a destroyer has "powerful sensors and electronics that can be assets for detecting small boats and semisubmersibles used for illicit activities."

These ships can also coordinate additional assets, he said, and function as a force multiplier.

Beckelhymer said the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter embarked on the Stockdale provides faster air coverage than relying on something from the shore. The helicopter is equipped with a very capable radar and communications suite and can share real-time data and video feed with the destroyer.

The captain said the Stockdale is also an endurance platform. The ship can "stay on station considerably longer" and carry more fuel and food.

During its deployment, Stockdale served as a command-and-control platform, providing maritime awareness and surveillance to the Coast Guard assets operating in the area. The destroyer played a role in helping them apprehend suspected smuggling vessels, and Beckelhymer's crew saved the lives of mariners who were caught adrift with no food or water on board.

Speaking to the missions that his warship has supported, Beckelhymer said "it's really, really humbling to watch young men and women put to action the things that it takes to operate a destroyer at sea in support of priority missions for two separate fleet commanders."

President Trump has just blasted Apple in a post on his account on TruthSocial. The president said that he has “long ago informed” Apple CEO Tim Cook that iPhones sold in the United States should be manufactured and built in the United States, “not India, or anyplace else”.

He continues by threatening that if this does not happen, “a tariff of least 25% must be paid by Apple”. The details of the ‘tariff’ are unclear, but the outburst has nonetheless shook investors and Apple company stock has already dropped 3% in response to the announcement.

Zachary Levi is aware he’s ruffled some feathers by making controversial comments over the years.

In a new interview with Variety that was published on Thursday, May 22, the actor opened up about the professional fallout he’s experienced after publicly expressing his thoughts on topics such as President Trump and COVID-19 vaccines.

“I know that there are people that would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions. My team has let me know,”  Levi, 44, told the outlet.

He added: “They haven’t given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it’s unfortunate. I knew that was probably going to happen. I didn’t make this decision blindly or casually.”

Broadway Star Gavin Creel's Partner Breaks Silence After His Death

Last year, Levi’s former Broadway costar, Laura Benanti, expressed her dislike of the actor during an episode of “That’s a Gay Ass Podcast.”

“I never liked him,” Benanti, 45, said while appearing on the podcast in December 2024.

She recalled, “‘Everyone was like, ‘He’s so great!’ And I was like, ‘No, he’s not.’ He’s sucking up all the f***ing energy in this room.”

Benanti further claimed that Levi wanted to “mansplain everybody’s part to them” while they were members of the same cast.

The actress alleged Levi tried to get their She Loves Me castmates to have dance parties before each show, which she never enjoyed. (Benanti played Amalia Balash in the 2016 production while Levi portrayed Georg Nowach.)

“He really sucked everybody in with his, like, dance party energy. Like, ‘We’re doing a dance party at half-hour,’” Benanti remembered. “I was like, ‘Good luck. Have fun.’”

Benati also took issue with Levi’s comments about the death of their late She Loves Me costar Gavin Creel.

Laura Benanti Slams Broadway Costar Zachary Levi: 'I Never Liked Him'

In September 2024, Levi made headlines when he claimed Creel’s death was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.

“To use his memory for his political agenda and to watch him try to make himself cry until he had one single tear, which he did not wipe away, I was like, ‘F*** you forever,’” Benanti during the podcast as she referenced Levi’s comments about Creel.

Us Weekly confirmed in September 2024 that Creel died at the age of 48. The Tony Award winner’s cause of death was metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma. Creel was diagnosed with the very rare form of cancer in July, a mere two months prior to his passing.