The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance departed Naval Base San Diego on Saturday to help deter illegal crossings and drug trafficking as part the military’s efforts to bolster security along the southern border.

The Trump administration is taking the unusual step of deploying a Navy warship off the waters of the U.S. as part of its broader crackdown on security and migration along the Mexico border.

USS Spruance left its home port to support efforts to "restore territorial integrity" at the southern border, US Northern Command said.