- The USS Winston S. Churchill conducted joint operations with Guyana’s GDFS Shahous in the Caribbean Sea on November 22, 2025.
- The deployment supports U.S. Southern Command missions focused on counter-drug operations and Department of War tasking.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG-72) conducted operations with the Guyana Defence Force Defiant-class patrol vessel GDFS Shahous (1039) in the Caribbean Sea off Guyana’s eastern coast on November 22, 2025.
According to U.S. officials, the deployment supports U.S. Southern Command missions, Department of War-directed operations, and presidential priorities focused on disrupting illicit drug trafficking and protecting the homeland.
The operation placed a U.S. Navy front-line destroyer alongside one of Guyana’s newest patrol vessels during a period of expanded maritime cooperation in the region. The Department of War said the deployment forms part of a broader effort to improve coordination with partner nations in areas facing persistent narcotics movement.
According to U.S. military officials, forces assigned to Southern Command continue to carry out interdiction patrols, intelligence sharing, and naval cooperation activities with regional partners. The USS Winston S. Churchill, equipped with guided missiles and long-range sensors, conducts missions designed to track and disrupt maritime drug routes that move north toward Central America and the United States.
The Guyana Defence Force vessel GDFS Shahous, which operates close to Guyana’s exclusive economic zone, joined Churchill for maneuvering drills and communication checks. As noted by U.S. Navy personnel in previous public materials, such exercises allow crews to practice ship handling, exchange operational procedures, and refine coordination during interdiction scenarios.
The Department of War said in a release that U.S. forces in the Caribbean are conducting missions tied to disrupting transnational criminal networks. The deployment of a destroyer underscores the priority placed on maritime security across sea lanes used by smugglers moving narcotics toward the United States.
The cooperation also comes against the backdrop of recent instability in northern South America. In 2023, Guyana entered a period of sharp confrontation with Venezuela after Caracas claimed rights to the resource-rich Essequibo region. In December 2023, Venezuela conducted a referendum that included a question on whether the region should become part of Venezuela and whether its population should receive Venezuelan citizenship. Caracas openly stated its intention to take control of the territory by force, but neighboring countries and the United States intervened diplomatically and militarily to prevent an escalation. The episode heightened attention on Guyana’s security environment and increased the value of regional maritime partnerships.
U.S. Southern Command has reported in earlier statements that its mission in the Caribbean includes cooperation with partner navies, improving maritime domain awareness, and supporting regional readiness for counter-drug operations.
The U.S. Navy has operated in the Caribbean Sea for decades in support of these missions.