Lasers down 11 cartel drones along southern border, US military says

The U.S. ​military has downed 11 cartel ​drones using lasers ‌since deploying ​the technology along the U.S.-Mexican border last week, U.S. officials said on ‌Friday. U.S. Northern Command, in a statement, said the unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, "were assessed to be associated with illicit activity ‌along the border" and were targeted with ‌the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser system as part of a task force operation along the southern U.S. border.

More than 300 drones have ⁠been ​downed since ⁠the start of 2026 using both "kinetic and non-kinetic systems" in support ⁠of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, USNORTHCOM said, adding that more ​than 100 drones were taken down in August. The ⁠military did not say where exactly the laser strikes took place ⁠or ​whether they occurred over U.S. or Mexican territory. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said any unilateral U.S. ⁠action on Mexican soil would be a grave breach of her ⁠country's ⁠sovereignty.

It also did not specify the manufacturer of the laser technology used.