US Military Uses Laser to Down Cartel Drones Near Mexico Border

The U.S. military has confirmed that it used a laser-based weapon system to shoot down three drones operated by Mexican drug cartels near the southern Texas border. The operation, which took place late Tuesday and into early Wednesday, was carried out in the Rio Grande Valley, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.

The military said the drones posed a direct physical threat to U.S. troops and Customs and Border Protection personnel operating in the area. Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force–Southern Border, noted that cartel networks are increasingly using unmanned aircraft to facilitate human smuggling and to conduct surveillance on U.S. personnel and law enforcement partners.

The statement did not specify whether the drones were intercepted over U.S. or Mexican territory. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously stated that any unilateral U.S. military action on Mexican soil would constitute a serious violation of national sovereignty.

The incident comes as the Trump administration continues its push to tighten border security and crack down on cartel activity. Since the task force was established in 2025, it has carried out tens of thousands of detection patrols and thousands of observation flights.

The military did not identify the manufacturer of the laser system used in this operation. However, AeroVironment Inc. delivered its first two multi-purpose high-energy lasers to the Army last summer. Earlier this year, a similar laser-based anti-drone system was involved in an accidental shootdown of a U.S. government drone, and another deployment caused a temporary airspace shutdown near El Paso International Airport.

U.S. officials have grown increasingly concerned about cartel drone use, which typically involves modified commercial models used for drug drops or route surveillance. In areas deeper inside Mexico, cartels 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.