The US military used a laser system to shoot down three drones operated by drug cartels along the US-Mexico border on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The drones were deemed "hostile" because they posed a physical threat to US military personnel and Customs and Border Protection. According to Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the southern border's Joint Task Force, these actions are part of an effort to counter cartel use of unmanned aircraft systems for surveillance and smuggling activities. No further details on the operation were provided due to operational security reasons.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US Northern Command used a laser system called the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser to shoot down three drones near the US-Mexico border on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The drones, allegedly operated by drug cartels, were considered hostile because they posed a physical threat to US military personnel. Three drones were shot down, with no further details provided about their location or which cartels they belonged to. A spokesperson for USNORTHCOM said that the shots were taken in coordination with other partners along the border, due to operational security reasons. The use of laser technology is part of a broader effort to counter cartel and drone operations in the area, with some estimates suggesting that cartels primarily use drones near the border for surveillance purposes, including monitoring rival cartels and smuggling activities.
Written for “US Border Cartel Drone Takedown” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 3135: no verified evidence · logged 2026-08-28
The U.S. military this week used a laser to shoot down three drones along the U.S.-Mexico border that were allegedly operated by drug cartels, the Pentagon said Thursday.
uncertain
Pentagon → use → cartels
The three unmanned aircraft systems were shot down late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning using an "Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system," according to U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for overseeing certain military defense operations in North America.
uncertain
which → shoot → America
The drones were downed by the U.S. military's southern border Joint Task Force, a unit of USNORTHCOM, which did not specify exactly where the drones were shot down, or which cartels they were believed to belong to.
asserted
they → down → cartels
No details on the operation were provided.
asserted
details → provide → operation
Asked if the drones were shot down over U.S. or Mexican airspace, a USNORTHCOM spokesperson told CBS News that "the shots were taken in coordination with all partners operating along the border.
asserted
shots → ask → border
Due to operational security reasons and ongoing counter cartel and counter drone operations, we do not have additional details to provide at this time."
asserted
we → have → time
The drones were determined to be "hostile" because they were in "support of activities posing a physical threat to U.S. military personnel" and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, USNORTHCOM said.
asserted
USNORTHCOM → determine → personnel
"Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners," Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the southern border's Joint Task Force, said in a statement.
asserted
Taylor → employ → statement
"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."
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we → integrate → surveillance
In February, a U.S. military laser accidentally shot down a U.S. Customs and Border Protection drone in the Fort Hancock area in southwest Texas.
asserted
laser → shoot → Texas
And earlier that same month, the Federal Aviation Administration
commercial airspace around El Paso following an internal safety disagreement between the FAA and Pentagon over military drone tests that were being conducted near Fort Bliss said involved a high-energy laser system.
asserted
that → follow → system
At the time, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the FAA and Defense Department had "acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion" and that the "threat has been normalized."
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threat → say → incursion
Austin Doctor, an associate professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the director of strategic initiatives at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center,
that the cartels primarily use drones near the border for surveillance purposes "to support their other illegal criminal activities, including smuggling of narcotics, smuggling of persons, firearms, and other illicit goods."Doctor noted the cartels have not used weaponized drones inside the U.S., but they do use them inside Mexico to target rival cartels.
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they → use → cartels
The southern border Joint Task Force, which has about 8,000 U.S. service members, was formed last year in support of President Trump's immigration crackdown.
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which → have → crackdown
