U.S. military troops deployed a laser to shoot down three drones this week that criminal cartels reportedly used to gather information about American operations along the U.S.-Mexico border, officials with U.S. Northern Command said Thursday.
The cartels’ three unmanned aircraft systems were targeted Tuesday night through Wednesday morning by an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser, or AMP-HEL.
U.S. officials said the drones posed a threat to U.S. military troops and Customs and Border Protection personnel.
“Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners,” said Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force-Southern Border, based at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
“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,” Gen. Taylor said.
U.S. officials did not say where the drones were shot down or which criminal cartel was operating them.
USNORTHCOM coordinates U.S. defense operations in North America and assists federal, state and local agencies during natural disasters, emergencies and security events.
Joint Task Force-Southern Border is assigned to Northern Command. About 8,000 military troops are deployed along an area spanning 1,900 miles. Since assuming the mission in March 2025, JTF-SB troops have reinforced hundreds of miles of the southern border with wire obstacles and conducted thousands of monitoring patrols.
“These operations have enhanced [Customs and Border Protection] situational awareness, accelerated response times and bolstered overall efforts to disrupt cartel-led illegal activity at the southern border,” USNORTHCOM officials said in a statement.
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