U.S. Military Uses Laser System to Down Cartel Drones

The Joint Task Force - Southern Border shot down three unmanned aircraft allegedly operated by drug cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border between Tuesday and Wednesday. The operation utilized an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system to neutralize the drones, which military officials classified as hostile.

Major General Curtis Taylor stated that cartel networks employ these systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and conduct surveillance on U.S. military personnel and U.S. Customs and Border Protection partners. While one source placed the interceptions in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, U.S. Northern Command declined to confirm the exact locations or the specific airspace involved, citing operational security.

This deployment of directed-energy weapons follows a February incident in southwest Texas where a military laser accidentally destroyed a U.S. Customs and Border Protection drone. Taylor noted that integrating these capabilities with layered countermeasures signals that the military will not tolerate hostile surveillance.