Personnel assigned to the Joint Task Force–Southern Border (JTF-SB) engaged and destroyed three unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) using an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) during the late-night hours of August 25 and August 26, 2026. The engagements took place in the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas near the United States–Mexico border. Military officials stated that the directed-energy weapon was deployed after determining that the aircraft posed a direct physical threat to US military personnel and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents operating in the sector.
According to military statements, the drones were identified as hostile because they were directly supporting criminal activities that compromised the safety of law enforcement and defense personnel. Joint Task Force–Southern Border Commander Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor highlighted that cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate human-smuggling operations and conduct aerial surveillance on border personnel. Defense authorities declined to disclose the exact coordinates of the engagements or specify whether the targeted drones were located above US or Mexican territory when destroyed.
The AMP-HEL system involved in the engagement is a mobile laser counter-drone platform developed to disable or destroy small unmanned aircraft using concentrated light energy. Manufacturer AeroVironment delivered the first two AMP-HEL prototypes to the US Army in 2025 to establish a cost-effective counter-UAS capability without expending conventional missiles or munition stockpiles. US Northern Command confirmed that border engagements were coordinated with regional enforcement partners, though additional operational specifics remain restricted to protect ongoing security tactics.
The recent operational use of counter-drone laser technology follows earlier safety adjustments along the southern border. In February 2026, a military laser counter-drone system mistakenly downed a CBP drone near Fort Hancock, Texas, which prompted initial flight restrictions by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A separate operation near El Paso also temporarily affected airspace surrounding El Paso International Airport (ELP). Consequently, the FAA and the Pentagon established specialized procedures allowing military lasers to operate near civil air traffic safely without necessitating commercial airport closures.
