Pentagon shoots down government drone in Texas accident
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 – The U.S. military shot down a U.S. government drone using a laser-based anti-drone system in what officials described as an accident, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily restrict flights near Fort Hancock, Texas, congressional aides told Reuters.
The Pentagon did not immediately comment. The FAA cited “special security reasons” in its notice announcing expanded airspace restrictions near the Mexican border.
U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson, and Andre Carson — the top Democrats on committees overseeing aviation and Homeland Security — said in a joint statement that the Pentagon reportedly downed a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone. They criticized what they described as a lack of coordination between federal agencies.
The lawmakers said they had previously warned that the White House’s decision under President Trump to move forward without a bipartisan proposal to train counter-drone operators and improve interagency coordination would create risks.
“Now, we’re seeing the result of incompetence,” the statement said.
According to congressional aides, the Pentagon is believed to have used a high-energy laser system to disable the CBP drone near the Mexican border, an area that frequently experiences incursions from drones believed to be operated by Mexican drug cartels. CBP and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The FAA said it expanded existing flight restrictions around Fort Hancock to cover a larger area “to ensure safety,” adding that the measures do not affect commercial air traffic because of the location.
Earlier this month, the FAA temporarily halted flights at the airport in nearby El Paso, Texas, before reversing the order about eight hours later. Fort Hancock is located roughly 50 miles southeast of El Paso.
Media reports indicated the earlier El Paso closure was linked to concerns about the laser-based anti-drone system. The FAA reportedly agreed to lift restrictions there after the Pentagon agreed to delay additional testing pending a safety review.
Congressional aides said both the Pentagon and CBP indicated earlier this week that they believed they were authorized to deploy the laser system without prior FAA approval. Aides described ongoing coordination challenges between the two agencies. Congressional offices were informed late Thursday about both the El Paso closure and the Fort Hancock incident.
The FAA’s current notice bars most flights in the Fort Hancock area through June 24, though air ambulance and search-and-rescue operations may be permitted with authorization from Joint Task Force–Southern Border.
Government agencies briefed congressional staff earlier this week regarding the El Paso matter and are expected to provide further briefings to lawmakers next week.
An aide told Reuters that CBP deployed the laser technology earlier this month to disable four suspected cartel-operated drones, despite prior FAA warnings that the system had not been cleared for use near commercial air traffic. According to the aide, agencies stated the laser system had not previously been deployed domestically.
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