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Second US warship arrives off Port Sudan as pressure builds to evacuate citizens

Despite similar efforts undertaken by allies, the Biden administration has yet to order the US military to help evacuate American civilians seeking to flee Sudan.
A flight specialist walks towards an MH-53E Sea Dragon on the deck of the Lewis B. Puller carrier during a joint demining drill between the US, British and French Navy in the Arabian Gulf on April 15, 2019. - The US, French and British navies have launched anti-mine exercises off Bahrain in support of the free movement of trade in Gulf waters, a military spokeswoman said Monday. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — The second of at least three US Navy ships deployed to Sudan’s Red Sea coast has arrived, a US official confirmed to Al-Monitor on Tuesday, as the Pentagon remains ready to facilitate a potential evacuation of American citizens from the country.

The arrival of the USS Lewis B. Puller support ship off Port Sudan came after USS Truxtun reached the area on Monday. The US Navy's Fifth Fleet is also dispatching the USNS Brunswick to the Red Sea. 

The Pentagon deployed the ships in anticipation of potential orders by the Biden administration to help evacuate American citizens who reached the coastal city after fleeing violence that broke out across Sudan last week.

The Biden administration was one of the first foreign governments to retrieve its diplomatic personnel from Khartoum when American special operations forces launched an evacuation of the embassy overnight on Saturday.

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