(The Hill) — Two U.S. Navy ships collided Wednesday in an area patrolled by the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), leaving two personnel with minor injuries, according to military officials.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and Supply-class fast combat support vessel USNS Supply collided during a replenishment-at-sea, Southcom spokesperson Steven McLoud said in a statement.
The injured personnel sustained minor injuries in the incident and are in stable condition. Both ships have reported sailing safely, and the collision is currently under investigation, McLoud added.
DNR takes to the skies for Wisconsin’s first-ever aerial elk survey
The cause of the collision is unclear, along with the exact location of the incident.
A replenishment typically involves transferring fuel and other supplies between two vessels that are sailing next to each other.
The incident comes as President Donald Trump has established a massive military presence in the Southcom region in recent months, ahead of the U.S. campaign to seize Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. military has 12 warships in the region — which spans Central America, South America, and the Caribbean — including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier in the world, and its strike group.
In 2017, 17 sailors died in separate collisions involving Navy ships in the Pacific, both incidents that were avoidable and caused by “multiple failures” on the part of officers and sailors onboard, according to a 71-page report.
