U.S. restricts unauthorized border drone flights
Original reporting: Nuevo Laredo TV
What happened
Nuevo Laredo TV reported a U.S. restriction on unauthorized drone flights up to 400 feet above ground and one nautical mile north of the Mexico border. Officials described directed-energy defenses; earlier Northern Command figures cover the broader border operation.
Reporting and context
The Trump administration announced a temporary restriction on unauthorized drone flights along the U.S. side of the border with Mexico, Nuevo Laredo TV reported, citing a joint statement from three federal departments. The announcement also said U.S. forces would use advanced technology, including directed-energy weapons, against cartel drones that threaten U.S. sovereignty.
According to Nuevo Laredo TV, the restriction covers unauthorized drone activity up to 400 feet above ground level and extends one nautical mile north of the border. The article attributed the announcement to the departments of Transportation, War and Homeland Security.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy described the measure as protection against cartel drone threats and other illicit activity. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said restricting unauthorized flights would give commanders greater awareness and more options to defend the border. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said it would help protect personnel and reinforce airspace security.
The report also cited figures released by U.S. Northern Command in early September. The command said Joint Task Force Southern Border had neutralized more than 300 unmanned aircraft during the year using kinetic and nonkinetic systems, with more than 100 of those interceptions occurring in August. Those totals cover the broader operation, rather than the newly announced flight restriction.
Northern Command said the Army's AMP-HEL high-energy laser system was first used in border-protection operations on August 24. By September 4, task force personnel had neutralized 11 drones linked to cartels with that system. Those 11 are a laser-specific count within the wider operation, not an additional 300 interceptions.
The military linked the drones to smuggling and surveillance of military and law-enforcement personnel, according to the article. The task force operates under Northern Command in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.