The U.S. military employed a laser on Thursday to bring down a drone that was flying near the U.S.-Mexico border and was considered “seemingly threatening.” Lawmakers revealed that the drone actually belonged to Customs and Border Protection.
The case of mistaken identity led the Federal Aviation Administration to close additional airspace around Fort Hancock, which is approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. The military is required to formally notify the FAA whenever it conducts any within U.S. airspace.
This was the time a laser was fired in that area. The previous occasion when CBP used the weapon resulted in no hit, and that incident took place near Fort Bliss, prompting the FAA to close air traffic at El Paso airport and the surrounding area. This time, the closure was more limited and did not affect commercial flights.
U.S. Representative Rick Larsen from Washington, along with two other top Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security committees, stated they were astounded upon receiving official notification.
The lawmakers declared in a joint statement, “We’re completely blown away by this news.” They criticized the Trump administration for “evading” a bipartisan bill aimed at training drone operators and enhancing communication among the Pentagon, FAA, and the Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP.
They added, “Now, we’re seeing the outcome of its incompetence.”
Government defends use of anti-drone laser
The FAA, CBP, and the Pentagon released a joint statement late Thursday, acknowledging that the military “utilized counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to address a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.”
The statement noted that this occurred far from populated areas and commercial flights as part of the administration’s efforts to strengthen border protections.
The statement said, “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense, FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are collaborating in an unprecedented manner to tackle drone threats posed by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Second time these laser systems shut down Texas airspace this month
The airspace shutdown in El Paso that happened two weeks ago lasted only a few hours but caused alarm and led to several flight cancellations in the city with nearly 700,000 residents.
According to sources who were privy to the event but not authorized to disclose details, in that instance, CBP deployed an anti-drone laser without coordinating with the FAA, which then decided to close the El Paso airspace to ensure commercial air safety.
Subsequently, members of Congress stated that this seemed to be another example of different agencies failing to coordinate with each other.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he planned to brief members of Congress about the incident. At an unrelated news conference last Friday, he claimed that it was not a mistake for the FAA to close the airspace in El Paso and that he did not believe communication issues were the cause of the problems.
Lawmaker demands an investigation
Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, who is the ranking member of the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, called for an independent investigation.
Duckworth stated, “The Trump administration’s incompetence continues to create chaos in our skies.”
The investigation into last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., involving an airliner and an Army helicopter that resulted in 67 deaths, showed that the FAA and Pentagon did not always work well together.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported that the FAA and the Army did not exchange safety data regarding the concerning number of near misses around Reagan National Airport and failed to address the risks.
Concern about drone threats growing
Two months ago, legislation was passed to give more law enforcement agencies — including some state and local departments — the authority to take down rogue drones as long as they are properly trained. Previously, only a limited number of federal agencies had this power.
routinely carry out devastating attacks in Ukraine and have also allowed Ukraine to The U.S. government has allocated more than $250 million to help states prepare to respond to drones before hosting World Cup matches and this summer’s celebrations marking America’s 250th birthday.
Another $250 million in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defense capabilities.
Drones already causing problems
Drones are already creating issues along the border. Cartels frequently use drones to smuggle drugs across the Mexican border and monitor Border Patrol officers. Last summer, officials informed Congress that over 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border during the last six months of 2024.
The impact of drones continues to rise along with the number of near misses near airports. Homeland Security estimates that there are over 1.7 million registered drones in the United States.
Anti-drone systems can use radio signals to disrupt drones or like those used in Texas that can disable the devices. Some systems deploy small drones to quickly take off and collide with threatening drones. There are also systems that use bullets, but those are more common on battlefields than in domestic settings.