The US military accidentally shot down one of its own government's drones near the Texas-Mexico border on Wednesday, using a high-energy laser system that congressional aides say was deployed without proper coordination with federal aviation authorities. The incident took place near Fort Hancock, a small border community roughly 50 miles southeast of El Paso, and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand flight restrictions in the area through 24 June, citing 'special security reasons.'
The drone belonged to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Pentagon used a high-energy laser system to bring it down after mistaking it for a threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace. Neither CBP nor the Pentagon had coordinated with the FAA before the engagement.
'Our Heads Are Exploding'
The fallout was swift on Capitol Hill. Democratic Representatives Rick Larsen, André Carson and Bennie G Thompson, all ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, issued a joint statement saying: '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.'
The three lawmakers placed blame directly on the White House, saying: 'We said months ago that the White House's decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA was a short-sighted idea. Now, we're seeing the result of its incompetence.'
Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, ranking member on the Senate's Aviation Subcommittee, called for an immediate joint investigation by the inspectors-general of the Departments of Defense, Transport and Homeland Security. She drew a parallel to the deadly mid-air collision over Washington DC in January 2025 that claimed 67 lives. 'It's this kind of failure to communicate between DoD and FAA that led to the tragic loss of life above DCA,' she said.
It’s this kind of failure to communicate between DoD and FAA that led to the tragic loss of life above DCA.
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) February 27, 2026
It’s also deeply troubling to once again learn about this chaos in the news—rather than through official channels.
This situation is alarming and demands a thorough,… https://t.co/1NS9sFhwr3
The Second Incident This Month
Wednesday's episode was not an isolated one. On 10 February, the FAA imposed a surprise 10-day shutdown of airspace within a 10-mile radius of El Paso International Airport, halting arrivals and departures and triggering widespread confusion among travellers. El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson described the closure as causing 'chaos and confusion,' though the FAA reversed the order within hours.
That incident stemmed from CBP using a military-supplied anti-drone laser to destroy what turned out to be party balloons near Fort Bliss, again without coordinating with the FAA. Despite that episode, both the Pentagon and CBP subsequently told congressional aides they believed they could deploy the laser system without prior FAA approval. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the earlier closure at a news conference on 20 February, saying he did not believe there had been a communication failure between department heads.
🚨HOLY SH*T: The Department of Defense accidentally shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near El Paso, Texas causing massive chaos and the FAA to restrict flights in the area.
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) February 27, 2026
This is the most incompetent administration in history. pic.twitter.com/NR6vIzTDl5
Calls for Accountability
The Pentagon, CBP and FAA released a joint statement acknowledging Wednesday's incident, saying the military 'employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace' and that 'these agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.'
The back-to-back incidents expose a significant coordination breakdown between three federal agencies operating in the same airspace along the southern border. With flight restrictions now in place through June and lawmakers demanding independent investigations, serious questions remain about the safety protocols surrounding the use of laser-based anti-drone technology in proximity to civilian air traffic and friendly government assets.
