The U.S. Military accidentally shot down a border patrol drone using a laser weapon, highlighting an apparent lack of coordination between federal government agencies and leaving members of congress fuming.
Reuters was the first to report on the mishap, which led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closing the airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas.
The wire service reported that the military used a high-energy laser system to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone along the Mexican border. In the past, Mexican drug cartels have used drones in their operations.
The report was confirmed by Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, who put out a statement on Bluesky.
“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,” the statement from Reps. Rick Larsen, D-Wash. Bennie Thomson, D-Miss., and Andre Carson, D-Ind read.
The statement ripped the White House for sidestepping a bipartisan bill that would have properly trained anti-drone weapon operators. The lawmakers said the bill also would have addressed “the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA.”
Meanwhile, the FAA’s closure of the airspace around Fort Hancock is expected to continue until at least June 24. The FAA’s stated reason for the closure is “Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons.”
ABC News reported that the FAA, Pentagon, and CBP put out a joint 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.”
“The engagement took place far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity,” the statement continued. “These agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.”
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