Listen to this article
Estimated 5 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), lawmakers said.
The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close additional airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas, about 80 kilometres southeast of El Paso. The military is required to formally notify the FAA when it takes any counter-drone action inside U.S. airspace.
It was the second time in two weeks that a laser was fired in the area. The last time it was CBP that used the weapon, and nothing was hit. That incident occurred near Fort Bliss, prompting the FAA to shut down air traffic at El Paso airport and the surrounding area.
The closure this time was smaller and commercial flights were not affected.
Washington U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and two other top Democrats on the House’s transportation and infrastructure and homeland security committees said they were stunned when they were officially notified.
“Our heads are exploding over the news,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. They criticized the Trump administration for “sidestepping” a bipartisan bill to train drone operators and improve communication among the Pentagon, the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes CBP.
“Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” the Democrats said.
Government defends use of anti-drone laser
The FAA, CBP and the Pentagon issued a joint statement late Thursday that acknowledged the military “employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.”
The statement said it happened far from populated areas and commercial flights as part of the administration’s efforts to strengthen protections at the border.
“At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War (Defence), 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 statement said.
The El Paso shutdown two weeks ago lasted only a few hours, but it raised alarm; the FAA initially moved to shut the Texas airport for a whopping 10 days — and it led to a number of flight cancellations in the city of nearly 700,000 people.
In that case, an anti-drone laser was deployed by CBP without co-ordinating with the FAA, which then decided to close the El Paso airspace to ensure commercial air safety, according to sources familiar with what happened, but who weren’t authorized to discuss it.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the ranking member on the Senate’s aviation subcommittee, called for an independent investigation.
“The Trump administration’s incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies,” said Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat.
Members of Congress had already expressed concerns about different federal agencies failing to co-ordinate with each other after the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an airliner and Army helicopter that killed 67 people.
The National Transportation Safety Board said after the deadly collision that the FAA and the U.S. army did not share safety data with each other about the alarming number of close calls around Reagan National Airport and failed to address the risks.
Anti-drone capabilities for states enabled
Two months ago, with the Safer Skies Act, Congress agreed 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 select few federal agencies had that power.
Armed drones regularly carry out devastating attacks in Ukraine and have also allowed Ukraine to strike deep within Russia.
The U.S. government has handed out more than $250 million US to help the states prepare to respond to drones before hosting World Cup matches and celebrations planned this summer for the country’s 250th birthday.
Another $250 million US in grants will be awarded later this year to strengthen the nation’s drone defences.
The Trump administration in the first incident initially suggested the intervention was due to a Mexican drug cartel drone. Cartels routinely use drones across the U.S. border and surveil Border Patrol officers. Federal officials told Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 metres of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.
The threat to planes from drones continues to increase, along with the number of near-misses around airports around the world. In the U.S., DHS estimates there are more than 1.7 million registered drones.
Anti-drone systems can use radio signals to jam drones, or high-powered microwaves or laser beams, like the ones that have been used in Texas, that are capable of disabling the machines.
There are also some systems that use bullets, but those are more common on battlefields than in domestic use.
