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 "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. 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, the U.S. military 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. ​It also did not specify the manufacturer of the laser technology ⁠used. Mexico's secretary of defense told reporters on Friday that the two governments coordinate by ⁠sharing ​information and conducting mirror operations on both sides of the border, but did not confirm Mexican military participation in specific actions against cartel ⁠drones.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said any unilateral U.S. action on Mexican ⁠soil would ⁠be a grave breach of her country's sovereignty.