The U.S. military this week used a high-energy laser system to shoot down three drones along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. The downings occurred late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, according to U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), which oversees military defense operations in North America.
The Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system was deployed by the southern border Joint Task Force, a unit under USNORTHCOM. The military did not disclose the exact locations where the drones were intercepted or identify the cartels believed to be operating them. A USNORTHCOM spokesperson told CBS News that the operation was conducted in coordination with all border partners, though no further details were provided due to operational security concerns.
The drones were classified as hostile by USNORTHCOM, which stated they posed a physical threat to U.S. military personnel and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the southern border Joint Task Force, said in a statement that cartel networks are increasingly using unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human smuggling and conduct surveillance on law enforcement.
"By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance," Taylor said. The military has faced challenges with its laser systems in the past; in February, a U.S. military laser accidentally shot down a CBP drone near Fort Hancock, Texas. Earlier that month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly shut down commercial airspace around El Paso following an internal safety review.
The Pentagon did not specify whether the intercepted drones were operating over U.S. or Mexican airspace, emphasizing that the operation was part of broader counter-cartel and counter-drone efforts along the border. The use of directed-energy weapons marks a shift in border security tactics, though the military has not provided additional details on future deployments or expanded operations.