Suspected cartel drone traffic down 75 percent due to Army lasers: CBP sources

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How the US military is defending suspected cartel drones | NewsNation Live

How the US military is defending suspected cartel drones | NewsNation Live

(NewsNation) — The number of suspected cartel-linked drones in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border has dropped by 75 percent since the U.S. military began using high-energy lasers, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources said.

Officials believe the military’s ability to shoot down these suspected unmanned aircraft directly correlates to the drop in the number of drones being spotted. However, they also acknowledge that the decrease in traffic could be linked to cartel operatives changing routes or using other tactics to accomplish the same goals of surveilling U.S. activity.

Pentagon officials said last week military forces working with U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command shot down 300 suspected cartel drones over the first eight months of the year.

That total included 100 drones in August alone, as the military relies on counter-drone technology — including high-energy lasers — as part of its defense against these aircraft. Military........

© The Hill