The U.S. military reportedly shot down around 100 suspected cartel drones at the southern border in August alone.
A senior Department of War (DOW) official confirmed the number to Fox News, marking the first time the Pentagon has said publicly just how often it is using anti-drone technology to knock cartel aircraft out of the sky. Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported the official’s account on X.
The tools being used include high-energy lasers. According to the official, the military coordinated every single takedown ahead of time with Mexican military and border authorities, so both sides knew what was happening along the border.
The Pentagon framed the effort as part of a bigger strategy. Rather than relying on one magic “silver bullet” system, the department is building a layered defense that mixes technology, trained personnel, and updated legal authorities that can be rolled out quickly.
Late at night on Aug. 25 and into Aug. 26, Joint Task Force-Southern Border used an Army high-energy laser to take down three drones the military labeled as hostile. Officials said the aircraft were considered a threat because they were backing up activities that put American troops and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in danger.
The task force behind the operation is based at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. It has roughly 8,000 service members and was stood up in 2025 as part of President Donald Trump’s border crackdown. The laser it uses, known as the AMP-HEL, is tied to AeroVironment and runs on a 20-kilowatt beam mounted on a vehicle. One of the big selling points is cost; firing a laser is far cheaper than launching a missile.
Mark Morgan, who ran CBP on an acting basis during Trump’s first term, said the military stepping in was long overdue.
CBP reported that cartels flew about 42,000 drones near the U.S. border in fiscal year 2025, according to Breitbart Texas. In October, a Gulf Cartel operator was arrested in Reynosa carrying 151 drone explosives, 18 drones, and three IEDs.
Commenters welcomed the news, with several urging the military to bring the same defenses to the northern border.