Department of Homeland Security aircraft pilots patrolling the southern border and elsewhere in the United States have been repeatedly attacked with lasers in the past several months. An AS-350 helicopter on patrol Feb.

Shining a laser into an aircraft cockpit is a federal crime that could lead to up to 20 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine.

As tensions along the Southern Border rise, a Border Patrol helicopter was recently targeted by a laser from Mexico. A news release from Customs and Border Protection said, the Feb. 9 incident was one of several in recent months in which lasers have targeted Air Interdiction Agents that are part of the Border Patrol’s Air and Marine Operations.