The US military has used a high-energy laser system to destroy three drones linked to Mexican drug cartels near the US-Mexico border in southern Texas, officials said.
The operation was carried out late Tuesday and early Wednesday in the Rio Grande Valley, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command.
Military officials said the drones posed a physical threat to US military personnel and Customs and Border Protection officers operating in the border region.
The aircraft were reportedly being used by cartel networks for activities including monitoring US personnel and law enforcement partners, as well as facilitating the illegal movement of people across the border.
Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force–Southern Border, said cartels were increasingly turning to unmanned aircraft as part of their operations.
The military said the drones were brought down using the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser, although officials did not identify the manufacturer of the system.
Authorities also declined to disclose the precise location of the strikes or clarify whether the operation took place on the US or Mexican side of the border.
That detail could prove sensitive as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously warned that any unilateral US military action on Mexican territory would represent a serious violation of Mexico’s sovereignty.
The operation comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigration and drug cartels, following campaign promises to strengthen border security.
Since its creation in 2025, the border task force has carried out tens of thousands of detection and monitoring patrols, alongside thousands of surveillance flights, according to the military.
The deployment marks another step in the US military’s growing use of directed-energy technology to counter drones. AeroVironment Inc delivered its first two multi-purpose high-energy laser systems to the US Army last summer, although the military did not confirm whether the company’s equipment was used in this operation.
The US has previously deployed laser-based counter-drone technology in Texas. Earlier this year, an AeroVironment LOCUST system was used near El Paso International Airport, resulting in a seven-hour airspace shutdown.
In February, a US government drone was also accidentally brought down by a laser-based anti-drone system near Fort Hancock, Texas, according to congressional aides who spoke to Reuters at the time.
US security officials have become increasingly concerned about cartel drone activity along the border. Mexican criminal groups have largely relied on commercially available drones that have been modified to carry drugs or monitor trafficking routes.
Further inside Mexico, some cartels have also used drones to drop explosives during deadly attacks.
The latest incident highlights the growing challenge posed by unmanned aircraft along the US-Mexico border, as authorities on both sides continue working to counter their use in smuggling, surveillance and other criminal operations.
