Laser used to shoot down cartel drones near Mexico border

The U.S. military this week used a high-energy laser to shoot down three drones near the southern border that officials said were linked to Mexican drug cartels .

The operation took place late Tuesday and early Wednesday and involved the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system to bring down the drones along the U.S.-Mexican border, Joint Task Force-Southern Border said Thursday.

Officials described the drones, though exact locations were not disclosed, as “hostile” and that they posed a “physical threat” to U.S. service members 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 Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, who serves as the commander of the border task force, in a statement.

Taylor said the successful takedown of the “adversarial drones” was a “direct testament to the readiness, vigilance, and technological edge.”

“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,” he added.

Taylor thanked the Mexican government and its military for their cooperation in addressing drone threats in the broader region. It is unclear whether the strikes occurred over U.S. or Mexican territory.

The operation comes as the Trump administration has expanded the military’s role along the southern border as part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown and war on drug cartels.

Roughly 8,000 U.S. service members are currently deployed under Joint Task Force-Southern Border across the nearly 2,000-mile border, according to the military.

Since taking the reins in March 2025, the task force said troops have conducted tens of thousands of detection patrols and observation flights. U.S. forces have also installed hundreds of miles of wire barriers and completed patrols alongside Mexican military personnel.