The federal government is restricting the use of drones along the entirety of the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to protect against “illicit cartel activity” and other threats.
According to the U.S. Transportation Department, a temporary flight restriction (TFR) took effect Friday and prohibits unauthorized uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operations within 1 nm of the southern border, from the surface up to 400 feet. DOT said the TFR was coordinated jointly with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense.
The FAA will publish a notice to airmen (NOTAM) linking to its UAS Data Delivery System, which contains national security-related UAS flight restrictions, as well as a domestic notice.
“For too long, cartels have taken advantage of gaps along our southern border,” said DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth in an announcement. “Equipped with cutting-edge technology—including directed energy weapons—our warfighters will shoot down any cartel drone that threatens America’s sovereignty.”
Per the domestic notice, the TFR will remain in effect through October 2027. It contains a graphic depicting the restrictions, which are described in NOTAMs ZLA 6/9954, ZAB 6/9955, and ZHU 6/9956. Operators should refer to the NOTAMs to confirm effective dates and times, altitudes, geographic boundaries, exceptions, and operating requirements.
To fly within the restricted airspace, UAS operators must request authorization from U.S. Customs and Border Protection at least 48 hours before operation. First responders or organizations responding to time-sensitive emergencies, such as natural disasters, can call CBP to see if they are eligible for expedited authorization.
Drones and Lasers at the Border
As drone activity rises, federal agencies are developing defenses against unauthorized drones operated by both domestic and foreign users. In June, officials said federal air marshals seized more than 300 drones during FIFA World Cup matches and fan events. Hundreds of millions of federal dollars have been allocated toward counter-UAS (C-UAS) initiatives.
Officials are equally concerned with unauthorized drone activity near the Southern border.
Hegseth mentioned that directed energy weapons would be used to take down drones in violation of the southern border TFR. The technology made headlines earlier this year, when airspace near El Paso, Texas, was twice shut down during testing of an anti-drone laser. On one occasion, the device was used to shoot down what officials believed to be cartel drones, but they turned out to be party balloons.
In April, the FAA and Pentagon cleared the use of the laser for use along the U.S.-Mexico border, concluding it does not pose an “undue risk” to civilian aircraft.
A federal interagency task force in October announced four directed-energy systems that will be evaluated in a C-UAS pilot program. In May, the task force said testing would be conducted at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Fort Bliss in Texas, Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state, Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
The Army is overseeing its own effort called the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program and in September awarded Aerovironment a $464.8 million production contract for its Locust X3 system. At the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington, Army officials told Military Times they aim to deploy the first E-HEL system by 2028.
In September, U.S. Northern Command said its Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) used kinetic and non-kinetic systems to take down more than 300 drones in 2026, including more than 100 in August alone. This month, Reuters reported that JTF-SB detected 378 drone incursions in the previous 30 days.
The Army acquired what it described as a “multipurpose high-energy laser” in September 2025.