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.

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.

Capable of holding over 300 crew members and larger than any Coast Guard vessel, the USS Gravely has been assigned to help tighten border security, operating in both domestic and international waters.