The US Army has used a high-energy laser weapon to destroy three drones near the US-Mexico border, in an operation described by officials as necessary to protect military personnel and Customs and Border Patrol partners. The strike, carried out by the Joint Task Force Southern Border under US Northern Command, marks a notable field use of directed-energy weapons technology and reflects the expanding range of surveillance and defence tools being deployed along the border amid the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

The operation took place overnight between 25 and 26 August in the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas, using technology derived from the Army's High-Energy Multipurpose Laser (AMP-HEL) programme, understood to be the vehicle-mounted Locust Laser Weapon System built by AeroVironment. Operating at 20 kilowatts, the system tracks and illuminates targets before applying concentrated heat to disable or destroy them; newer versions also incorporate radar and command-and-control systems for wider integration into mobile defence networks. JTF-SB commander Curtis Taylor said drones were increasingly being used by cartel networks for smuggling and surveillance, though the exact origin of the destroyed aircraft and the precise location of the operation have not been disclosed.