U.S. Military Successfully Uses Lasers Against Mexican Cartel at Southern Border

U.S. military forces used a laser system to knock three Mexican drug cartel drones out of the sky at the southern border earlier this week.

The operation took place during the overnight hours Tuesday and into Wednesday, according to U.S. Northern Command.

The task force behind the operation said troops used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser, or AMP-HEL, against the three drones.

In a post on X, U.S. Northern Command d a still image from Joint Task Force Southern Border of the laser being deployed.

The right tools. The right authorities. In the hands of trained warfighters.

Three cartel drones defeated.@JointTFSB is delivering real capability where it matters — defending our forces, securing our borders in support of @CBP, and defending the homeland.

We Have The Watch.… https://t.co/nVJ8nmWwWL

— U.S. Northern Command (@USNorthernCmd) August 28, 2026

The military said it was determined the drones were hostile and posed a threat to U.S. troops, as well as Customs and Border Protection personnel on the ground.

Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, the task force’s commander, praised the technology and the operation.

“The successful defeat of these adversarial drones is a direct testament to the readiness, vigilance, and technological edge of the JTF,” Taylor said in a statement.

“Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners,” he added.

Taylor also made it clear that U.S. military and border patrol personnel would not tolerate being surveilled by hostile paramilitary groups.

“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.

Per the task force commander, the Mexican government offered its assistance.

“We also greatly appreciate the support of our Mexican Army partners as we work together to combat this threat to the border region,” he said.

Defense News reported earlier this year that the U.S. military was readying itself to use the AMP-HEL system domestically.

“As drone warfare spreads beyond distant conflicts, laser weapons are an increasingly attractive domestic countermeasure,” the outlet’s Jared Keller wrote.

“While kinetic interceptors and electronic warfare may be considered suitable for chaotic battlefields, their potential for collateral effects makes them far too risky for consistent domestic applications,” he added in his report.

Keller concluded, “And even if collateral damage wasn’t a concern, expending expensive missiles on the 1,000 cartel-operated drones that cross the border with Mexico monthly is economically unsustainable, especially for a Pentagon that’s already rapidly burning through munitions as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran.”

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