In brief
In a recent incident, a US Navy guided missile destroyer and a supply vessel collided while conducting a replenishment-at-sea operation. Southern Command confirmed that two personnel sustained minor injuries but are in stable condition. The incident occurred near South America, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause.
A US Navy warship collided into a Navy supply vessel during a refuel operation, the US military's Southern Command confirmed to the BBC. Two people reported minor injuries during Wednesday's replenishment-at-sea operation, Southern Command said, and are in stable condition. The vessels - a guided missile destroyer and fast combat support ship - have both continued sailing safely from the site of the incident near South America. Southern Command did not say what caused the collision and said the incident was currently under investigation.The exact location of the crash between the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Truxtun and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply was not immediately clear. The USNS Supply ship has been operating in the Caribbean, according to the Wall Street Journal, which is part of Southern Command's area of responsibility. Southern Command is also responsible for parts of the South Atlantic and the South Pacific.US President Donald Trump has ordered a military buildup in the Caribbean over the last few months as part of the administration's stated aim to target drug trafficking. This follows incidents where two people died after the US military struck an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, contributing to at least 38 lethal alleged drug boat strikes in the region since Trump took office. Additionally, the US military has employed its presence in the region to enforce sanctions against Venezuelan oil, culminating in a raid that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
