Overview
- The operation occurred late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Aug. 25–26, when JTF‑SB used the Army’s AMP‑HEL high‑energy laser to disable three small unmanned aircraft that commanders classified as hostile.
- Officials said the drones were taken down after being judged to pose an imminent threat to U.S. service members and Customs and Border Protection personnel.
- JTF‑SB and USNORTHCOM framed the action as the first documented use of AMP‑HEL on the southern border, a directed‑energy tool that detects, tracks and disables small drones without conventional munitions.
- Commanders described the strike as part of a sustained, layered posture that includes about 8,000 deployed personnel, wire barriers, patrols, observation flights and vegetation clearance to counter cartel use of drones.
- U.S. military statements thanked the Mexican Army for support but gave few details on binational coordination or rules of engagement, leaving the scope of Mexico’s role and any follow‑up operations unspecified.