A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter patrolling the southern border near McAllen, Texas, was targeted by a laser emanating from a vehicle on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River. This marks the sixth such incident in the past four months where Air Interdiction Agents have had to execute evasive maneuvers to avoid being struck by lasers.

This recent event follows another laser incident last month in Jacksonville, Florida, involving a similar AS-350 helicopter, which led to the arrest and felony charges for an individual. Fortunately, no pilots or crew members were injured in either of these incidents. Authorities are currently investigating these laser attacks. While owning handheld lasers isn't illegal, directing a laser beam into the cockpit of an aircraft is a federal offense, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Shining a laser at an aircraft, whether commercial or military, can temporarily blind the aircrew and potentially cause a mid-air collision. This incident comes amidst a backdrop of increasing security concerns for Border Patrol agents. Recently, agents were instructed to stop using body cameras after a social media post revealed how the cameras' Bluetooth technology could be exploited to track and potentially endanger agents. A CBP directive has temporarily suspended the use of body cameras pending further investigation and risk mitigation.

CBP has not yet responded to a request for comment on these recent developments.