US Military Uses Laser to Shoot Down Cartel Drones at Mexico Border

The U.S. military used a high-energy laser to shoot down three drones linked to Mexican drug cartels near the U.S.-Mexico border this week, highlighting growing security concerns over unmanned aircraft used by criminal organizations.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command said the operation occurred late Tuesday and early Wednesday in southern Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. U.S. forces deployed an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser to destroy the three drones after determining they posed a physical threat to military and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.

Officials did not disclose the exact location of the interceptions or clarify whether the drones were destroyed over U.S. or Mexican territory. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously warned that unilateral U.S. military action inside Mexico would represent a serious violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force–Southern Border, said Mexican cartel networks are increasingly using unmanned aircraft systems for human-smuggling operations and surveillance of U.S. military and law enforcement personnel.

The incident comes as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies efforts to combat illegal immigration and drug cartels along the southern border. Since the border task force was established in 2025, it has carried out tens of thousands of detection and monitoring patrols as well as thousands of observation flights.

The military did not identify the manufacturer of the laser weapon used in the latest operation. AeroVironment delivered its first two multipurpose high-energy laser systems to the U.S. Army last summer, while the Army has previously deployed the company’s LOCUST counter-drone system.

Laser-based defenses have also faced operational challenges. In February, the U.S. military accidentally destroyed a U.S. government drone with a laser anti-drone system, according to congressional aides cited by Reuters.

U.S. officials have become increasingly concerned about cartel drone activity. Criminal groups commonly modify commercially available drones to transport drugs or monitor trafficking routes, while cartels deeper inside Mexico have also used drones to drop explosives in deadly attacks.

U.S. and Mexican authorities are cooperating to address the growing drone threat along the border.