U.S. forces employ high-energy laser to destroy three cartel drones near border
The U.S. military used a high-energy laser in the Rio Grande Valley to shoot down three drones linked to Mexican drug cartels, officials said.
U.S. military officials reported that a high-energy laser was fired in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas, taking down three drones operated by Mexican drug cartels. The strikes occurred late Tuesday and early Wednesday, employing the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser, though the precise coordinates and whether the engagement happened in U.S. or Mexican airspace were not released. Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force-Southern Border, said the drones posed a physical danger to service members and Customs and Border Protection personnel.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum cautioned that any unilateral U.S. action on Mexican soil would constitute a serious breach of sovereignty. The laser system, delivered by AeroVironment Inc, follows earlier deployments of the company's LOCUST system, which previously forced a temporary airspace shutdown near El Paso International Airport. U.S. and Mexican authorities continue cooperating to address the growing use of drones by cartels for smuggling, surveillance, and, in other regions of Mexico, explosive attacks.
Why it matters
It shows how the U.S. is using advanced weapons to counter cartel drone threats at the border, raising security and sovereignty concerns.
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