US Military Uses Laser Weapon for First Time to Down Cartel-Linked Drones on Mexico Border

US Northern Command's Joint Task Force-Southern Border used an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) to shoot down three cartel-linked drones in the Rio Grande Valley, southern Texas, overnight on August 25–26, 2026 — the first confirmed combat use of a directed-energy weapon against cartel drones on the border. The military said the drones, detected on consecutive nights, posed a physical threat to US and Customs and Border Protection personnel. Officials said the US has shot down roughly 300 suspected cartel-linked drones along the southern border in 2026, including 100 in August alone, as cartels increasingly use UAS for smuggling and surveillance of law enforcement.