---
title: "US military uses lasers to down cartel drones at border"
publication: "MediaBias News"
url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-military-uses-lasers-to-down-cartel-drones-at-border"
api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-military-uses-lasers-to-down-cartel-drones-at-border"
markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-military-uses-lasers-to-down-cartel-drones-at-border.md"
audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-military-uses-lasers-to-down-cartel-drones-at-border"
category: "Conflict & Security"
area: "United States"
published: "2026-09-04T17:46:06.114Z"
source_reported: "2026-09-04T16:44:45.000Z"
updated: "2026-09-04T17:46:06.114Z"
trust_score: 42
critic_score: 57
hype_score: 41
assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis"
fact_check_status: "not-performed"
coverage_measured: "2026-09-04T18:30:21.551657+00:00"
---

# US military uses lasers to down cartel drones at border

*Officials report 11 drones downed with new laser technology, while other reports cite up to 100 in August.*

**Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): 

- Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to US Northern Command and Fox News, with some details from a Pentagon official.
- Craft 57 of 100, higher is better. The reporting is largely based on digests, with limited original reporting and a lack of direct quotes from affected parties.
- Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise specific numbers of drones downed, but the body of the reporting often hedges with 'approximately' or 'about'.

Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology.

**The short version**

- US military officials confirmed 11 cartel drones were downed using laser technology deployed along the US-Mexico border.
- The drones were assessed by US Northern Command to be associated with illicit activity.
- Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that unilateral US actions on Mexican soil would breach sovereignty.
- Reports differ on the total number of drones downed in August, with some citing up to 100.

US military officials have stated that 11 cartel drones have been downed using laser technology since its deployment along the US-Mexico border last week. US Northern Command assessed these unmanned aerial systems as being associated with illicit activity. The technology used is the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser system. In total, more than 300 drones have been downed since the start of 2026 using various systems, with over 100 taken down in August.

## Disagreement on drone numbers

While US military officials stated that 11 drones were downed using lasers since the technology's deployment last week, other reports cite a higher number for the month of August. Fox News reported that the US military downed approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at the southern border in August. An unidentified Pentagon source also stated that US armed forces shot down approximately 100 drones in August, allegedly in coordination with the Mexican army.

## What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated reports mention the figure of 11 cartel drones being downed using lasers since the technology's deployment last week, which was stated by US military officials and reported by centre and right-rated outlets. None of the right-rated reports mention Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum's statement that unilateral US actions on Mexican soil would be a grave breach of her country's sovereignty.

## Who covered it

Shares of the 17 covering outlets with a published leaning rating:

- Left: 12% (2)
- Centre: 35% (6)
- Right: 53% (9)

11 of 28 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-04T18:30:21.551657+00:00.

**Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-04T19:15:07.796Z.

## How the sides framed it

### Left

- The left-rated reports focused on the US military's use of laser technology to down drones along the border. El Universal reported that the US military downed approximately 100 cartel drones in August, citing Fox News. It also noted that these operations were coordinated with the Mexican army and border authorities. TPR.org reported on the US military using a laser to disable three drones along the Texas-Mexico border, stating these were intercepted by Joint Task Force-Southern Border using the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system.

### Centre

- Centre-rated reports highlighted the US military's deployment of laser technology to down cartel drones. PerthNow, Reuters, WTVB, and The Straits Times all reported that 11 cartel drones were downed using lasers since the technology was deployed along the US-Mexican border last week, citing US officials. El Diario reported that the US military downed approximately 100 narcodrones at the border, according to Fox News, and quoted Pentagon press spokesman Kingsley Wilson stating these actions were coordinated with Mexican military and border authorities. The New York Ledger also reported the figure of approximately 100 suspected cartel drones downed in August, citing a senior War Department official confirming to Fox News.

### Right

- Right-rated reports focused on the number of drones downed and the technology used. The West Australian, The Dallas Express News, and The Straits Times reported that 11 cartel drones were downed using lasers. The Dallas Express News specified that the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser, known as AMP-HEL, entered border operations on August 24. Breitbart reported that a War Department official said the military shot down about 100 suspected cartel drones at the southern border in August, as reported by Fox News. Democratic Accent, wfmd.com, Fox News, and Reforma also reported that the US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at the southern border in August, with Fox News citing a Pentagon official.

**Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding.

## Factuality profile of the covering outlets

These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true.

- mixed: 8
- high: 7
- unknown: 12
- veryHigh: 1

## Verification scope

This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true.

## Original reporting this was written from

- [The West Australian](https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/lasers-down-11-cartel-drones-along-us-southern-border-c-22827364) — Lasers 'down 11 cartel drones' along US southern border
- [PerthNow](https://perthnow.com.au/news/crime/lasers-down-11-cartel-drones-along-us-southern-border-c-22827365) — Lasers 'down 11 cartel drones' along US southern border
- [The Dallas Express News](https://dallasexpress.com/national/lasers-not-missiles-army-amp-hel-used-to-defeat-11-border-drones) — Lasers, Not Missiles: Army AMP-HEL Used To Defeat 11 Border Drones
- [wbap.com](https://wbap.com/2026/09/04/lasers-not-missiles-army-amp-hel-used-to-defeat-11-border-drones) — Lasers, Not Missiles: Army AMP-HEL Used To Defeat 11 Border Drones
- [EstamosAquí MX](https://estamosaqui.mx/pentagono-habria-derribado-hasta-cien-drones-en-la-frontera-con-mexico) — Pentagon Would Have Knocked Down a Hundred Drones on the Border with Mexico
- [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/lasers-down-11-cartel-drones-along-southern-border-us-military-says) — Lasers down 11 cartel drones along southern border, US military says
- [Reuters](https://reuters.com/business/media-telecom/lasers-down-11-cartel-drones-along-southern-border-us-military-says-2026-09-04) — Lasers down 11 cartel drones along southern border, US military says
- [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/09/04/lasers-down-11-cartel-drones-along-southern-border-us-military-says) — Lasers down 11 cartel drones along southern border, US military says
- [entrelineas.com.mx](https://entrelineas.com.mx/durante-agosto-ejercito-de-eu-derribo-aproximadamente-100-drones-en-la-frontera-con-mexico) — During August, U.S. Army Shot Down Approximately 100 Drones on the Mexican Border - Entre Lineas
- [Life.ru](https://life.ru/p/pentagon-raskryl-masshtab-voyny-dronov-s-narkokartelyami-na-granitse-s-meksikoy) — The Pentagon Revealed the Scale of the Drone War with Drug Cartels on the Border with Mexico.
- [The New York Ledger](https://thenyledger.com/politics/us-military-took-down-approximately-100-suspected-cartel-drones-at-southern-border-in-august) — US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August
- [INTELLINEWS](https://intelli.news/2026/09/04/us-military-took-down-approximately-100-suspected-cartel-drones-at-southern-border-in-august) — US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August
- [democraticaccent.com](https://democraticaccent.com/us-military-took-down-approximately-100-suspected-cartel-drones-at-southern-border-in-august) — US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August – Democratic Accent
- [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/03/us-military-took-down-approximately-100-suspected-cartel-drones-at-southern-border-in-august) — US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August
- [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-us-military-took-down-approximately-100-suspected-cartel-drones-southern-border-august) — US military took down approximately 100 suspected cartel drones at southern border in August
- [Potosinoticias.com](https://potosinoticias.com/2026/09/03/derriban-mas-de-100-drones-ligados-a-carteles-en-la-frontera-con-eu-reporta-fox-news) — More than 100 Drones Linked to Cartels at the US Border Are Shot Down, Fox News Reports
- [Breitbart](https://breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/03/pentagon-zaps-100-cartel-drones-southern-border-august) — DOW Official: Pentagon Zaps About 100 Cartel Drones at Border in One Month
- [dossierpolitico.com](https://dossierpolitico.com/2026/09/03/eu-ha-derribado-al-menos-100-drones-de-carteles-en-la-frontera-reporta-fox-news-operativos-fueron-coordinados-con-mexico-asegura) — The U.S. Has Shot Down at Least 100 Drones of Cartels at the Border, Fox News Reports; Operatives Were Coordinated with Mexico, He Says.
- [elsiglodetorreon.com.mx](https://elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/2026/eu-ha-derribado-al-menos-100-drones-de-carteles-en-la-frontera-con-mexico.html) — The U.S. Has Shot Down at Least 100 Drones of Cartels on the Border with Mexico, According to Fox News
- [frontpageindex.com](https://frontpageindex.com/2026/09/fox-news-us-military-successfully-takes.html) — Fox News: U.S. Military Successfully Takes Down 100 Suspected Cartel Drones At Southern Border
- [Reforma](https://reforma.com/derriba-eu-100-narcodrones-en-frontera-segun-fox-news/ar3269866) — Take Down EU 100 Narcodrones at the Border, According to Fox News
- [Vanguardia](https://vanguardia.com.mx/noticias/mexico/estados-unidos-derriba-al-menos-100-drones-de-carteles-en-la-frontera-sur-revela-fox-news-EF23266266) — The U.S. Knocks Down at Least 100 Drones of Cartels on the Southern Border, Reveals Fox News
- [El Informador :: Noticias de Jalisco, México, Deportes & Entretenimiento…](https://informador.mx/internacional/eu-ha-derribado-al-menos-100-drones-de-carteles-en-la-frontera-sur-fox-news-20260903-0190.html) — The U.S. Has Shot Down at Least 100 Drones of Cartels on the Southern Border: Fox News
- [El Universal](https://eluniversal.com.mx/mundo/eu-ha-derribado-al-menos-100-drones-de-carteles-en-la-frontera-sur-reporta-fox-news-operativos-fueron-coordinados-con-mexico) — US Knocks Down at Least 100 Drones of Cartels on Mexico’s Border, Fox News Reports
- [eldiariodechihuahua.mx](https://eldiariodechihuahua.mx/estados-unidos/2026/sep/03/derriba-eu-100-narcodrones-en-frontera-segun-fox-news-834100.html) — Take Down EU 100 Narcodrones at the Border, According to Fox News
- [El Diario](https://diario.mx/internacional/2026/sep/03/derriba-eu-100-narcodrones-en-frontera-segun-fox-news-1136554.html) — Take Down EU 100 Narcodrones at the Border, According to Fox News
- [tpr.org](https://tpr.org/border-immigration/2026-09-03/u-s-military-uses-laser-to-disable-3-drones-along-texas-mexico-border) — U.S. military uses laser to disable 3 drones along Texas-Mexico border
- [aeiou.pt](https://zap.aeiou.pt/exercito-dos-eua-usou-um-laser-para-abater-drones-ligados-a-carteis-762914) — U.S. Army Used a Laser to Shoot Cartel-Bound Drones

## Questions

**How many cartel drones did the US military down with lasers?**

US military officials stated that 11 cartel drones were downed using lasers since the technology was deployed along the US-Mexican border last week. These drones were assessed to be associated with illicit activity.

**What is the total number of drones downed in August?**

Reports vary on the total number of drones downed in August. While US military officials confirmed 11 were downed using lasers recently, other reports citing Fox News suggest approximately 100 suspected cartel drones were downed in August.

**Was the use of laser technology coordinated with Mexico?**

US Northern Command and the Pentagon stated that the use of laser systems to down drones was coordinated with the Mexican army and border authorities. El Universal reported that these operations were coordinated with Mexican counterparts.

**What is Mexico's stance on US actions at the border?**

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that any unilateral US action on Mexican soil would be a grave breach of her country's sovereignty. This statement was reported by PerthNow.

---

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