The USS Gravely is participating as part of the Defense Department's response to Trump's executive orders on the border, officials said.

The vessel is commonly used in overseas missions. The Coast Guard typically takes a lead role in security missions at sea close to the United States.

Navy warship USS Gravely is on a mission to strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border, Pentagon officials said. Why it matters: The deployment of the guided-missile destroyer that last year was involved in shooting down Iran-backed Houthi rebels' ship attacks in the Middle East to a region the U.