US military uses laser to shoot down 3 Mexican cartel drones near border, officials say

The US military used a laser to shoot down three Mexican drug cartel drones in the Rio Grande Valley near the US-Mexico border this week. The operation, conducted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command late Tuesday and early Wednesday, utilized the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser. The military stated the drones posed "a physical threat" to US personnel, with Major General Curtis Taylor noting, "Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and actively spy on our personnel." This action comes amid efforts to address immigration and cartel activities, though the precise location of the strikes and the laser model were not disclosed. US security officials have expressed concern over cartels using drones for drug trafficking and surveillance.