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Lasers down 11 cartel drones along southern border, US military says
U.S. Northern Command said the Army laser system has downed more than 300 drones since the start of 2026.
- Northern Command forces downed 11 cartel-linked drones last week using the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser system in the Rio Grande Valley, with officials assessing the unmanned systems as associated with illicit activity.
- Criminal groups across Latin America use inexpensive commercial drones costing $600 to $1,200 for surveillance and drug trafficking, with more than 27,000 incursions reported near the southern border in 2024.
- About 8,000 service members assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border have downed more than 300 drones since 2026 began using "kinetic and non-kinetic systems", while Northern Command characterized targeted drones as "hostile" for threatening personnel.
- Mexico's Defense Ministry reports maintaining "mirror operations" since February 2025 to disrupt trafficking, though the mistaken downing of a CBP drone near Fort Hancock raised coordination concerns between military and federal agencies.
- Sociologist Rodrigo Peña notes that technological innovation challenges traditional ideas of state authority, as President Claudia Sheinbaum warned any unilateral U.S. action on Mexican soil would breach sovereignty.
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The Dallas Express NewsReposted by 
wbap.com
wbap.comLasers, Not Missiles: Army AMP-HEL Used To Defeat 11 Border Drones
The U.S. military has used an Army high-energy laser to defeat 11 drones assessed as supporting cartel activity along the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Northern Command announced Friday. The Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser, known as AMP-HEL, entered border operations on August 24. By September 4, Joint Task Force-Southern Border personnel had used the system against 11 […]
·Dallas, United States
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US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August – Democratic Accent
EXCLUSIVE – The U.S. military provided rare insight into its operations at the southern border... The post US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August appeared first on Democratic Accent .
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Total News Sources28
Leaning Left2Leaning Right9Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Right
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources lean Right
53% Right
12%
C 35%
R 53%
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