GoKawiilPentagon authorizes DHS to test Active Denial heat-ray weapon at border
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo last month permitting the Department of Homeland Security to test and develop tactics for the Active Denial System, a nonlethal military heat weapon, for potential use at the southern US border, according to CNN. The memo authorizes a seven-month loan of one ADS unit, though it does not specify where or how testing would occur. The device emits an invisible electromagnetic beam that causes a burning sensation on skin from over half a mile away.
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Officials and former CBP sources say the weapon has previously been discussed for crowd control at the border and, separately, during 2020 unrest following George Floyd's murder, suggesting its potential use extends beyond immigration enforcement. Deploying a military-grade directed-energy weapon domestically would mark an unprecedented expansion of border enforcement tools, raising questions about civil liberties and use-of-force standards that the memo itself does not address.
- Hegseth's memo grants DHS a seven-month loan of one Active Denial System unit for testing.
- The heat ray causes a temporary burning sensation meant to make people flee, lasting 10-15 minutes.
- Officials have previously discussed using the system for crowd dispersal at the border and during past domestic protests.
Source: cnn.com — Zachary Cohen, 2026-10-23
Published there as: “Pentagon grants DHS permission to test heat ray weapon for use at border”
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