Overview
- U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Task Force Southern Border used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser to neutralize three unmanned aircraft during the nights of August 25 and 26.
- The JTF-SB described the aircraft as hostile because they supported activities that posed a physical threat to U.S. military personnel and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
- Mexican defense authorities were notified and confirmed the devices had commercial characteristics, were used by migrant traffickers to surveil authorities, and were neutralized on U.S. territory near the Texas–Rio Grande Valley.
- Officials say the operation is the first documented use of the AMP-HEL system on the U.S. southern border and that laser energy offers a precision, non‑kinetic option that can reduce collateral effects compared with conventional munitions.
- The action occurred inside a broader framework of bilateral 'concurrent' or 'mirror' operations that began in early 2025 and currently involve about 8,000 U.S. personnel on the southern border, a deployment that raises ongoing questions about transparency and sovereignty as authorities limit public details.