Washington DC - The US military used a laser to shoot down three drones along the border with Mexico that were being operated by organized crime cartels, the Pentagon claimed on Thursday.

The US military's Southern Border Joint Task Force (JTF-SB), a unit of US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), shot down three unmanned aircraft on Tuesday night using an "Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system."

In an official statement addressing the incident, USNORTHCOM did not provide details on where exactly the drones were shot down, what they are believed to have been carrying, or to which organized crime group they belonged to.

"The successful defeat of these adversarial drones is a direct testament to the readiness, vigilance, and technological edge of the [Joint Task Force]," said Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of the JTF-SB.

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"Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners," Taylor said.

Asked by CBS News whether the drones were shot down over US or Mexican airspace, a USNORTHCOM spokesperson said "the shots were taken in coordination with all partners operating along the border."

"Due to operational security reasons and ongoing counter cartel and counter drone operations, we do not have additional details to provide at this time."

The laser system employed has been touted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other military and border officials as vital for the protection of the country against foreign drones.

Numerous times, however, the system has triggered chaos. At one point, it mistakenly shot at party balloons that had drifted across the border, causing the airspace around El Paso to be temporarily closed.

In February, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to bar flights near Fort Hancock after the system was mistakenly used to target a US government drone