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Pentagon Plans to Test Heat-Ray Weapon at U.S.-Mexico Border
A weapon that makes people feel as if their skin is burning could soon be tested for border enforcement. The Pentagon has approved a seven-month evaluation, raising questions about how far military technology should go in civilian operations.
U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Tessa Lindsey
It does not fire bullets. It does not need to touch a person. And its intended effect is to make the target feel so much pain that fleeing becomes an instinct.
Now, a weapon developed by the U.S. military could be tested for potential use along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test the Active Denial System, a vehicle-mounted device commonly described as a military “heat ray,” according to a CNN report published October 21. A Pentagon memo signed by Hegseth last month permits DHS to borrow the system for seven months and develop tactics for its possible use in border operations.
The device fires an invisible beam of electromagnetic energy that heats the surface of exposed skin, creating an intense burning sensation. Military officials say the effect is designed to force people away from the beam without causing lasting injury under normal operating conditions. The system can reach targets more than half a mile away, according to CNN.
The Pentagon describes the technology as nonlethal, but that label does not eliminate concerns about how it could be used or the risks involved. Critics have raised questions about injuries, the use of pain to disperse crowds and whether a weapon originally designed for military purposes is appropriate for encounters involving migrants and civilians.
The idea is not new. During President Donald Trump’s first administration, officials considered using the system at the southern border and during domestic protests. Those proposals did not proceed, amid legal, ethical and practical concerns.
The latest authorization does not mean the heat ray has already been deployed against migrants. Instead, it gives DHS an opportunity to evaluate the technology and develop possible operating procedures. Whether the department ultimately seeks to use it in the field remains uncertain.
The decision comes as the administration expands its use of advanced technology along the border. Federal agencies have also pursued directed-energy systems to counter suspected cartel drones, highlighting how tools once associated primarily with military battlefields are increasingly being considered for domestic security missions.
For supporters, the technology could offer another way to disperse dangerous crowds or deter threats without relying on conventional weapons. For critics, the central question is whether a device designed to inflict an overwhelming sensation of pain can be safely and proportionately used in civilian law enforcement.
The heat ray may not leave a bullet wound, but its intended effect is unmistakable: make a person feel unbearable heat until they run.
Editor’s Note: This report is based on CNN’s October 21 reporting on the Pentagon authorization, also covered by People. DHS testing authorization should not be confused with confirmed operational deployment at the U.S.-Mexico border.
