The U.S. Army deployed a high-energy laser system to shoot down three cartel-operated drones, marking one of the first confirmed uses of a military laser against hostile drones at the southern border, according to a joint statement released Aug. 27 by the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.
The weapon used was the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser, known as the AMP-HEL laser. The three drones were deemed hostile by the Joint Task Force Southern Border after commanders determined they posed a physical threat to U.S. military personnel and their partners in U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The engagement took place overnight on Aug. 25-26 in the Rio Grande Valley.
Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, who commands the task force, said cartel networks are increasingly using unmanned aircraft to facilitate human smuggling and to surveil American military and law enforcement personnel, and that the laser response sends a clear deterrent message. He said the successful engagement was a demonstration of the force’s readiness and technological capability.
The military did not specify the precise configuration of the weapon used. AeroVironment Inc., an Arlington, Virginia-based defense company, announced in August 2025 that it delivered two AMP-HEL prototype systems to the Army. The AMP-HEL system integrates laser weapons onto a General Motors Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle.
The border drone threat
The laser engagement is the latest escalation in the use of unmanned aircraft by cartel organizations along the Texas border. Former Border Patrol agents have described being tracked by cartel-operated drones during operations, with the aircraft monitoring their movements in real time and relaying that information to smuggling networks.
In February, airspace around El Paso International Airport was closed for approximately seven hours for security reasons related to drone activity. The White House said cartel-operated drones had breached U.S. airspace and the laser was deployed to address them. The three shot down in the Rio Grande Valley last week were not believed to be armed, unlike cartel drones in other parts of Mexico that have been used to drop explosives in attacks.
Taylor said the United States is working alongside the Mexican military to combat cartel operations in the border area, and that American forces stand together with CBP partners to secure the border and disrupt criminal organizations.
The broader military posture
Approximately 8,000 service members are currently deployed across 1,954 miles of border as part of the laser and conventional countermeasures mission under Joint Task Force Southern Border.
The Trump administration designated several major cartel organizations as foreign terrorist organizations on Jan. 20, 2025, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said all options would remain on the table when dealing with foreign terrorist organizations targeting Americans at the border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stated that any U.S. military action on Mexican territory would constitute a violation of Mexican sovereignty.
Earlier this month, four individuals alleged to be affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel were indicted after being arrested in the Czech Republic in June, where they are alleged to have traveled to purchase machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortar launchers and accompanying ammunition.
