A US military laser system shot down a drone near the US-Mexico border on Thursday, only for it to emerge that the aircraft belonged to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), prompting a swift closure of airspace and renewed political criticism. The incident marks the second time in two weeks that a laser has been deployed in the area.
The case of mistaken identity led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close additional airspace around Fort Hancock, approximately 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of El Paso. Military protocols require formal notification to the FAA for any counter-drone action within US airspace. Unlike a previous incident, this closure was localised and did not impact commercial flights.
Three leading Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security committees, including Washington US Representative Rick Larsen, expressed their astonishment upon official notification. In a joint statement, the lawmakers declared: “Our heads are exploding over the news.” They criticised the Trump administration for “sidestepping” a bipartisan bill aimed at training drone operators and enhancing communication between the Pentagon, FAA, and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP. “Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” they added.
In response, the FAA, CBP, and the Pentagon issued a joint statement late on Thursday, acknowledging that the military had “employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.” The statement clarified that the incident occurred far from populated areas and commercial flight paths, as part of broader efforts to bolster border protections. It further noted: “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, 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 earlier incident two weeks prior saw CBP deploy an anti-drone laser near Fort Bliss, which resulted in the FAA shutting down air traffic at El Paso airport and the surrounding area for several hours, causing numerous flight cancellations. Sources familiar with the event, who were not authorised to speak publicly, indicated that CBP had deployed the laser without coordinating with the FAA, which then closed the airspace to ensure commercial air safety. Members of Congress subsequently highlighted this as another instance of inter-agency communication failures. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, however, stated at an unrelated news conference that the FAA’s decision to close El Paso airspace was not a mistake and that he did not believe communication issues were to blame.
Illinois Democratic US Senator Tammy Duckworth, the ranking member on the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, has called for an independent investigation into the latest incident. “The Trump administration’s incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies,” Duckworth asserted. Concerns about inter-agency coordination have been previously underscored by an investigation into a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., last year between an airliner and an Army helicopter, which claimed 67 lives. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the FAA and the Army had failed to share safety data regarding numerous close calls around Reagan National Airport and did not address the associated risks.
The broader threat posed by drones continues to grow. Two months ago, Congress granted more law enforcement agencies, including some state and local departments, the authority to take down rogue drones, provided they are properly trained. Previously, this power was limited to a select few federal agencies. The US government has allocated over $250 million to help states prepare for drone responses ahead of upcoming World Cup matches and America’s 250th birthday celebrations, with another $250 million in grants expected later this year to strengthen national drone defences.
Along the US-Mexico border, drones are already a significant problem, with cartels routinely using them to transport drugs and surveil Border Patrol officers. Officials informed Congress last summer that more than 27,000 drones were detected within 1,600 feet (500 metres) of the southern border in the latter half of 2024. The threat to aircraft from drones is escalating, evidenced by an increasing number of near misses around airports. Homeland Security estimates there are over 1.7 million registered drones operating in the United States.
Anti-drone systems employ various methods, including radio signals to jam drones, high-powered microwaves, or laser beams like those used in Texas, which are capable of disabling the machines. Other systems involve small drones designed to ram threatening aircraft, while bullet-based systems are more common in military battlefields than for domestic use.
