U.S. Military, Customs and Border Protection Face Scrutiny After Drone Incident in Texas
EL PASO, Texas (AP) – The U.S. government is facing questions about interagency communication following an incident in Texas where the military reportedly used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone on Thursday. The event, which occurred within military airspace, prompted a joint statement from the Pentagon, CBP, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledging the incident and pledging improved cooperation.
While the statement confirmed no commercial aircraft were in the vicinity, it did not specify that a CBP drone was the target. According to reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg, a high-energy laser was used in the takedown.
The incident comes just two weeks after CBP used a military laser – mistakenly targeting what turned out to be party balloons – leading to a temporary closure of El Paso’s airspace. That earlier event prompted alarm and a number of flight cancellations in the city near the Mexican border. This time, the airspace closure was smaller and did not affect commercial flights.
Democratic members of Congress have criticized the events, with Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking member on the House Committee on Homeland Security, calling the latest incident “incompetence.” Thompson, along with other Democratic ranking members, also pointed to the Trump administration’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan bill aimed at improving drone operator training and communication between the Pentagon, FAA, and Department of Homeland Security.
“Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
The FAA expanded an airspace closure around Fort Hancock on Thursday, following the incident. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated last week that the FAA’s decision to close El Paso airspace earlier this month was justified and not the result of a communication breakdown.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, the ranking member on the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, has demanded independent investigations into the latest event, calling it “alarming.”
The incidents highlight ongoing challenges in coordinating airspace management and counter-drone technology between different government agencies. A 2023 investigation into a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., revealed similar issues with data sharing between the FAA and the Army, contributing to a lack of awareness regarding close calls near Reagan National Airport.
The joint statement from the agencies affirmed a commitment to “increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future,” as the Department of War, FAA, and CBP work to mitigate drone threats originating from Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border, as directed by President Trump.
