Texas airspace closed after military downs CBP drone

The downing of the Customs and Border Protection drone occurred near Fort Hancock, Texas, a community situated on the U.S.-Mexico border. The weapon used was a laser-based anti-drone system, which was operated by CBP personnel who had received training from the military's Joint Task Force-Southern Border. The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to expand an existing temporary flight restriction in the area, citing "Special Security Reasons," though commercial flights were not impacted. A preliminary internal report indicated that the friendly fire incident resulted from a lack of coordination, suggesting that CBP did not notify the Department of Defense about its drone's flight path. This lack of communication led the military to perceive the drone as a threat. The event drew sharp criticism from several Democratic members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who stated, "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." This was the second instance in a month that the use of anti-drone laser systems in the region led to airspace closures. In an earlier event, on February 11, the FAA temporarily closed the airspace around El Paso, about 50 miles from Fort Hancock, after a laser was used. In that case, the target was initially suspected to be a cartel drone but was later identified as a mylar party balloon. The deployment of such advanced counter-drone systems highlights the increasing use of unmanned aircraft by Mexican cartels for surveillance and smuggling operations along the border. Federal officials have noted a significant rise in drone activity, with thousands of drone flights detected near the U.S.-Mexico border. This has prompted U.S. agencies to enhance their capabilities to counter these aerial threats. The agencies involved, including the Department of Defense, CBP, and the FAA, issued a joint statement acknowledging that the military "employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace." The statement emphasized that the engagement occurred far from populated areas. Lawmakers have pointed to this incident as evidence of a systemic failure in interagency coordination. They criticized the White House for what they described as sidestepping a bipartisan bill aimed at improving training for counter-drone operators and establishing clearer communication protocols between the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FAA. The specific model of the CBP drone that was shot down has not been publicly identified. CBP's drone fleet includes large surveillance aircraft like the MQ-9 Predator B as well as smaller, fixed-wing and quadcopter models. Investigations into the incident are expected, with calls from some lawmakers, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, for the Inspectors General of the Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Homeland Security to launch a joint investigation into the recent events in both Fort Hancock and El Paso. The focus of these investigations will likely be on improving inter-agency communication to prevent similar friendly fire incidents in the future.