This week, the US Army used a high-energy multipurpose laser to shoot down three drones near the US-Mexico border, which official reports claimed were “posing a physical threat to US military personnel and CBP partners,” referring to Customs and Border Patrol.
The operation took place between the night of August 25 and the early morning of August 26 in the vicinity of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and was led by the Joint Task Force Southern Border (JTF-SB), which operates under US Northern Command. Authorities confirmed that, during the operation, agents used technology derived from the Army’s High-Energy Multipurpose Laser (AMP-HEL) system, a military program focused on implementing high-energy lasers for new defense capabilities.
Available information suggests that this initiative began in September 2025, when AeroVironment, a company specializing in defense technology, delivered the first two functional prototypes of these laser-based weapons to the US Armed Forces. Two new, improved systems were delivered as the program was expanded in December of the same year. According to the manufacturer, this particular platform, called the Locust Laser Weapon System, is designed to be mounted on military vehicles, as the Army has done with the versions its received.
Operating at 20 kilowatts, the Locust system relies on an extremely concentrated beam of light that, in various phases, allows for the detection, tracking, illumination, damaging, or destruction of targets at a distance. Locust and other high-energy laser (HEL) systems typically use sensors, cameras, radars, or other means to locate an object. Once identified, the system focuses the light beam on the target with great precision, even when it is moving. It then uses an additional electrical energy charge to increase the beam’s power and convert it into heat. This ultimately damages or disables the drone, the exact outcomes depending on factors such as distance, exposure time, and the target’s characteristics.
In addition, Locust’s most recent versions—such as the one delivered to the military last December—include radar and command-and-control systems. These make it easier to integrate the weapon into a more complex mobile defense platform, rather than using it as a stand-alone device.
The exact location of the operation remains unknown. Nor is there any concrete information regarding the origin of the neutralized drones or the entities responsible for their operation. However, Curtis Taylor, commander of JTF-SB, suggested that the aircraft could be linked to criminal cells involved in drug trafficking and operations in Mexican territory.
“Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners. By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance. We also greatly appreciate the support of our Mexican Army partners as we work together to combat this threat to the border region,” the major general stated in a press release.
The official statement also does not specify the exact models from the AMP-HEL program that were used in the operation. However, the international press has linked the action to the campaign against illegal immigration and drug cartels that President Donald Trump has been waging since he began his second term.
During his election campaign, Trump promised to combat both issues by implementing drastic measures, especially along the US-Mexico border. To that end, his administration has deployed a wide variety of technologies, HEL systems being just part of the growing toolkit.
This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.