Trump's crackdown and new laser weapon cut drone activity by 75% at US-Mexico border

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's efforts to secure the vulnerable border with Mexico and crack down on illegal activity near the border have resulted in a significant milestone as drone activity on the border has contracted by 75%.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to fully or partially close the US-Mexico border to pressure Mexico to curb illegal immigration and illegal substance trade.

Military says drone activity dropped after laser use

Less than two weeks after the military introduced a high-energy laser weapon system at the US-Mexico border to down suspicious drones, drone activity has dropped by 75%, military officials told CBS News in a report published on Monday, September 7.

The high-energy laser system, which was brought in after months of training that included an episode that caused the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to briefly shut down El Paso's airport earlier this year, was first used on August 25 and 26 and took down three drones.

Officials further revealed that they have been using the system since then and have frequently contacted the FAA to ensure that efforts to keep the border secure don’t hurt civilians.

While the military has been using a variety of tools and weapons to send the drones where they came from, the laser system specifically gives the option to bring a drone down if it is a suspected threat.

The military brought down 300 drones this year

The officials further revealed that since the beginning of this year, 300 drones have been brought down by the military. Among these, eleven were shot down by the laser system within a span of 10 days.

"When you just send it [drones] back, and then it comes back up or is defeated temporarily, but the game changer is ensuring that that tool can't be used again against you," said Army Col Robert Felicio, commander of the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade that's deployed to the border.  

Felicio also revealed that since the laser weapon entered the picture, things have drastically changed on the border.

Air Force Gen Gregory Guillot, the head of US Northern Command, told lawmakers in 2024 that there are approximately 1,000 drone incursions at the southern border each month.

Felicio acknowledged that cartels finding different routes might have contributed to the success, but it occurred only after the military began using laser weapons.

How does the laser weapon work

To use the system, soldiers send a small drone over an empty field near the border wall as part of the test. Inside a vehicle carrying the laser, other soldiers use an Xbox controller to track the drone through a camera feed shown on a tablet-like screen.

Once they are locked onto the drone, they fire the laser at it. There is only a brief flash of light when the laser hits the drone.

The laser does not appear as a continuous beam. Instead, it delivers a nearly instant burst of heat at a precise spot on the drone.