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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued another temporary flight restriction in Texas airspace after the US military used a laser weapon to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone. The anti-drone system was deployed after the military detected a potential threat, later revealed to be a drone operating for the CBP.
The CBP apparently didn’t inform the Pentagon of its drone activities in the area, leading to the unknown aircraft being treated as a threat. This is the second incident in as many weeks after the FAA ordered the airspace around El Paso to close following another laser weapon deployment.
Military Downs CBP Drone With Laser System
As reported by CNN, the recent incident occurred around the town of Fort Hancock, Texas, which is situated close to the US-Mexico border. The CBP reportedly flew the drone into military airspace, prompting a threat response and subsequent anti-drone laser deployment. The incident echoes the events in El Paso two weeks ago, when the same directed-energy weapon was deployed to shoot down a suspected cartel drone that was later discovered to be a party balloon.
In a joint statement released on Thursday evening, the Pentagon, CBP and FAA confirmed the incident and clarified that there were no commercial aircraft in the area at the time of the weapon deployment. The agencies said the laser system was used in the face of a “seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system” that had entered military airspace. Soon after the laser was fired, the FAA immediately closed the airspace over Fort Hancock, issuing a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for “special security reasons,” which is currently set to last until June 24, 2026. The joint statement said,
“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.”
CBP Flew The Drone Without Notifying Anyone
At this early stage, the mishap is being pinned on the CBP for failing to inform other agencies of the drone’s activities. This meant that the drone was, for all intents and purposes, an unknown aircraft and was likely misclassified by the military as a drug cartel drone. It subsequently deployed its LOCUST (Laser-Oriented Counter-UAS System) weapon, which has attracted criticism for its possible safety risks.
Democrats Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson, and André Carson said their “heads are exploding over the news” and have called for an investigation into the incident. Although no commercial aircraft were reportedly in the vicinity when the laser was used, there are concerns about collateral damage given how the laser system works. As a result, the FAA wants to prohibit testing of the weapon until it can conduct a comprehensive safety review of its possible risks to other aircraft.
The area where the shootdown took place is a known hotspot for cartel activities, particularly drug smuggling operations run by the Sinaloa Cartel, often through drones. Given the potential risk to commercial operations, the Pentagon, FAA and CBP have committed to work on “increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Revealed: The Farcical Chain Of Events Behind El Paso’s Sudden Airspace Shutdown
The drama over ‘drones.’
Echoes Of El Paso
This week’s incident is the second known deployment of the LOCUST system this month, after the FAA briefly closed the airspace around El Paso on February 10. At the time, it ordered a ten-day closure before abruptly lifting its order once events became clearer. On that occasion, the CBP was operating a laser system borrowed from the Pentagon and fired upon a suspected cartel drone, which was later discovered to be a metallic balloon.
However, the system had been fired without prior notice to the FAA, which was caught completely off guard and imposed its sudden shutdown, before reversing its order eight hours later. According to a recent Reuters report, both the Pentagon and CBP have told congressional aides that their respective agencies have the authority to use the laser weapon without prior approval from the FAA.
