Two injured when Navy destroyer collides with support ship during refueling in Caribbean

A U.S. Navy support ship in the Caribbean hit a destroyer Wednesday, injuring two personnel. 

The USNS Supply hit the USS Truxtun during ship-to-ship refueling, U.S. Southern Command spokesperson Col. Emmanuel Ortiz told The Wall Street Journal. Col. Ortiz did not specify what led to the collision, but said that both vessels were able to keep sailing.

U.S. Southern Command told Reuters that “two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition.” The military has not identified either of the personnel injured or said whether which vessel they were aboard.

The collision took place close to South America, where Southern Command assets have been deployed by the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking.

The incident came days after the USS Truxtun, which initially left U.S. Naval Station Norfolk on Feb. 3, had to double back for an unspecified maintenance issue. The destroyer again set out from the naval station on Friday, according to the U.S. Naval Institute’s USNI News.

There are 12 warships operating under U.S. Southern Command, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, according to The Wall Street Journal.