Army Laser Deployment Cuts Cartel Drone Flights At U.S.-Mexico Border By About 75 Percent
On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the Pentagon said the U.S. military used a laser weapon to shoot down drones, producing nearly a 75% drop in drone activity at the U.S.-Mexico border.[1]
Pentagon officials said the strikes targeted drones tied to drug trafficking and cartel operations, and they described the reduction as roughly 75 percent.[2] They framed the measure as a tool to blunt drone flights probing the border rather than a broader change in force posture.[1]
The Army had earlier deployed a high-energy laser and publicly said it had used the system against suspected smuggling drones probing the border.[3] Pentagon officials on Tuesday described that earlier Army reporting and offered the quantified drop as confirmation of the weapon's immediate effect.[1]
CBS News segments relaying Pentagon and Army statements did not provide independent confirmation of intercept counts or locations, and officials did not disclose detailed operational numbers in the reports.[2]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the Pentagon said the U.S. military's use of a laser weapon to shoot down drones led to nearly a 75% drop in drone activity at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- CBS News says that update came from Pentagon officials and reinforced earlier Army claims that a high-energy laser reduced cartel-linked drone flights probing the border (CBS News).
- In a CBS News segment published Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 6:34 PM (Central), U.S. military officials said the laser weapon was used against drones linked to drug trafficking and sharply reduced their activity at the border.
- Officials framed the impact specifically in terms of drug-smuggling drones, emphasizing that the targeted drones are connected to cartel trafficking operations.
- The reports reiterate that the observed decline in drone activity is on the order of roughly 75 percent after the laser was employed.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- In a CBS News segment published Tuesday, September 8, 2026, U.S. military officials said use of a laser weapon against drones linked to drug trafficking has sharply reduced their activity at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- The officials framed the impact in terms of drug-smuggling drones, emphasizing that the targeted drones are connected to cartel trafficking operations.
- The news piece reiterates that the observed decline in drone activity is on the order of roughly 75 percent after the laser was employed.
- On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the Pentagon said the U.S. military's use of a laser weapon to shoot down drones led to nearly a 75% drop in drone activity at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- CBS describes the update as coming from Pentagon officials, reinforcing earlier Army claims that the high-energy laser has reduced cartel-linked drone flights probing the border.