US military downs border patrol drone over Texas
U.S. military forces temporarily closed airspace over Texas after shooting down a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone. Lawmakers confirmed the incident, which has raised questions about protocols for unmanned aerial vehicles in border security operations. An investigation is underway amid calls for greater transparency from the Department of Defense and CBP.
The shootdown occurred Wednesday near Fort Hancock, Texas, a community on the U.S.-Mexico border. A U.S. official confirmed a laser weapon was used to down the drone. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded a temporary flight restriction that was already in place for "Special Security Reasons." This marks the second time in February that military anti-drone activity has disrupted airspace in the region. Earlier in the month, a similar incident near El Paso, about 50 miles from Fort Hancock, led to the FAA briefly closing airspace. That disruption was reportedly caused by CBP using a laser against what was suspected to be a Mexican drug cartel drone, but was actually a party balloon. In a joint statement, the Department of Defense, CBP, and the FAA said the military "employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace." The statement noted the engagement happened far from populated areas and that the agencies would work on "increased cooperation and communication" in the future. Democratic Representatives Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson, and André Carson issued a joint statement, saying, "Our heads are exploding over the news." They blamed the incident on the Trump administration's "incompetence" and its decision to sidestep a bipartisan bill aimed at improving training and coordination for anti-drone system operators. CBP operates a variety of drones along the border, from smaller quadcopters to larger, more advanced systems like the MQ-9 Reaper. These unmanned aerial vehicles are used for surveillance and reconnaissance to detect illegal crossings and smuggling operations in remote or high-risk areas. The incident comes amid heightened concerns about the use of drones by Mexican cartels for surveillance and drug trafficking. U.S. officials have reported a significant number of drone detections along the southern border, prompting increased efforts to counter these threats.
