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medium conflictVERIFIED

Pete Hegseth reportedly authorizes DHS to test ‘heat ray’ at US-Mexico border

📍 Mexico, MX·🕐 4d ago·3 outlets

The Pentagon’s Active Denial System shoots energy beam that causes ‘sensation of intense heat on surface of skin’ Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense, reportedly signed a memo last month permitting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a non-lethal “heat ray” for potential use at the US southern border. The “heat ray”, known as the Active Denial System, is a military-grade weapon that shoots an energy beam causing “a sensation of intense heat on the surface of the skin”, according to a 2009 National Defense University case study on the weapon.

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✓ Verified · 3 outlets

Two or more outlets reported this story and its reliability score reached 65%, so WorldPulse marks it verified. That means more than one outlet says so, not that it is proven true.

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This report
NationalThe Guardian87%
This report links 2 of the story's 3 outlets
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cross sourcepending33%

Only 1 source — pending corroboration

4d ago
temporalpending50%

Single timestamp

4d ago
source diversitypending50%

Average source trust: 50%; Source tiers represented: national

4d ago
wire presencepending25%

No authoritative sources yet — awaiting wire/institutional coverage

4d ago
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Pete Hegseth reportedly authorizes DHS to test ‘heat ray’ at US-Mexico border The Pentagon’s Active Denial System shoots energy beam that causes ‘sensation of intense heat on surface of skin’ Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense, reportedly signed a memo last month permitting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test a non-lethal “heat ray” for potential use at the US southern border. The “heat ray”, known as the Active Denial System, is a military-grade weapon that shoots an energy beam causing “a sensation of intense heat on the surface of the skin”, according to a 2009 National Defense University case study on the weapon.

Reliability
59%

Moderate · How we score this

Risk Score
medium risk