US military uses high-energy laser to intercept three drones at southern border

Published August 28, 2026 1:20pm ET | Updated August 28, 2026 3:56pm ET



U.S. troops used a high-energy laser to intercept three hostile drones along the southern border on Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Joint Task Force — Southern Border (JTF-SB) used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) system to intercept the drones, which U.S. troops had determined “based on their use in direct support of activities posing a physical threat to U.S. military personnel and CBP partners,” the task force said in a statement.

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