USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are heading home after nearly 10 months in U.S. Southern Command, the Marines announced on Wednesday.
The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd MEU deployed in August and headed to the Caribbean, where the group was part of Operation Southern Spear, the name for U.S. strikes on boats suspected of carrying illicit narcotics. The Iwo Jima ARG, which was comprised of Iwo Jima, Fort Lauderdale and USS San Antonio (LPD-17), was also in SOUTHCOM for the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
San Antonio returned home last month, while Iwo Jima and Fort Lauderdale remained in the Caribbean.
With the entire amphibious ready group heading home, the U.S. has one guided-missile cruiser – USS Lake Erie (CG-70) – and one Littoral Combat Ship – USS Billings (LCS-15) – in the area. Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its destroyer escort USS Gridley (DDG-101) are also in the Caribbean as the Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier makes its way to Norfolk, Va., for decommissioning.
The Iwo Jima ARG was initially slated to deploy to Europe but was redirected to SOUTHCOM. While the ARG initially deployed on Aug. 14, it returned to Norfolk a few days later to avoid Hurricane Erin.
While in SOUTHCOM, the 22nd MEU, which included the Battalion Landing Team 3/6, Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, were part of operations to reinforce U.S. embassies in Haiti and Venezuela, deliver humanitarian aid to Jamaica as part of hurricane relief efforts and participate in bilateral exercises, in addition to Operation Southern Spear, according to a Marine Corps release.
SOUTHCOM forces continue to strike boats allegedly ferrying illicit narcotics. Joint Task Force Southern Spear struck a boat on Tuesday, killing one man on the vessel. There were two survivors.
U.S. Coast Guard activated search and rescue operations, but the service has not provided an update on the efforts to find the survivors. The Coast Guard has also not provided an update on the search for a survivor from a May 8 strike.
While the U.S. strikes boats that are allegedly carrying illicit narcotics, U.S. forces continue to interdict other suspected drug boats in SOUTHCOM.
USCG Escanaba (WMEC-907) and the Joint Interagency Task Force South interdicted a go-fast vessel Tuesday off the coast of Panama and seized 1,153 kilograms of cocaine. The three suspects aboard were detained, according to a Joint Interagency Task Force South post on social media site X.
