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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Ed Pilkington

Democrats outraged at US military’s downing of CBP drone near Mexico border

aerial view of a bridge connecting two countries
The Paso del Norte International Bridge at the US-Mexico border, between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, on 11 February 2026. Photograph: Christian Chavez/AP

Democratic members of Congress have expressed astonishment and anger at what they claim is the incompetence of the Trump administration after the US military used a laser on Thursday to shoot down what it thought was a threatening drone on the US-Mexico border in Texas but later turned out to belong to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The apparent confusion between two entities in the US government led to airspace being closed around Fort Hancock, right along the border. It was the second time in two weeks that air traffic was disrupted in the region as a result of a high-energy laser being deployed against drones.

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