U.S. military shot down Border Protection drone with laser, lawmakers say
#drone #military #airspace closure #El Paso #CBP #FAA #laser #incompetence
📌 Key Takeaways
- U.S. military accidentally shot down CBP drone with laser in Texas
- FAA temporarily closed airspace near El Paso following the incident
- Lawmakers criticized the incident as government incompetence
- Similar incident occurred two weeks earlier when CBP shot down party balloons
📖 Full Retelling
The U.S. military used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near El Paso, Texas on Thursday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close airspace in the area, as lawmakers criticized the incident as another example of government incompetence. The Pentagon, CBP, and FAA issued a joint statement acknowledging the incident, explaining that the military had 'mitigated a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace' at President Trump's direction. The agencies claimed they were working together to address drone threats from Mexican cartels and terrorist organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border. This latest incident comes just two weeks after CBP used a military laser to shoot down what turned out to be party balloons near Fort Bliss, causing a temporary closure of El Paso's airspace and significant flight disruptions. Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, condemned the reported mishap, stating 'our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.' They criticized the administration for sidestepping bipartisan legislation aimed at improving coordination between the Pentagon, FAA, and Department of Homeland Security.
🏷️ Themes
Government Coordination, Drone Security, Airspace Management
📚 Related People & Topics
El Paso, Texas
City in Texas, United States
El Paso is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. It is the 22nd-most populous city in the U.S., sixth-most populous city in Texas, and the most populous city in West Texas with a population of 678,815 at the 2020 census. The El Paso metropolitan area has an estimated...
Federal Aviation Administration
U.S. government agency regulating civil aviation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a U.S. federal government agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in the United States and surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic control, certification of personnel and aircraft, setting...
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Original Source
U.S. military shoots down Border Protection drone, sparking new air closure and derision from lawmakers The Pentagon, CBP and the FAA said in a statement that the military mitigated "a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace." El Paso International Airport in 2023. Claudia Hernández / NBC News file Share Add NBC News to Google Feb. 26, 2026, 10:47 PM EST / Updated Feb. 27, 2026, 2:59 AM EST By Mosheh Gains , Phil Helsel and The Associated Press Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 The U.S. government said it would do better to communicate between agencies after the military reportedly used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone in Texas on Thursday. Some Democratic members of Congress, including the ranking members of the House Homeland Security and Transportation committees, called the incident another example of “incompetence.” It comes two weeks after CBP used a military laser to shoot down what turned out to be party balloons in Texas, which caused the temporary closure of El Paso’s airspace. Add NBC News to Google FAA temporarily shuts down El Paso airspace 01:43 The Pentagon, CBP and the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged the latest incident in a joint statement Thursday. They said there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity. “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border,” the agencies said in the statement. “This reported engagement occurred when the Department of War employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace,” they said. “These agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future,” the agencies said in j...
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