Democrats Express Outrage Over US Military's Mistaken Downing of CBP Drone at Mexico Border
Democratic members of Congress have voiced astonishment and anger following an incident where the US military used a laser to shoot down what it mistakenly believed was a threatening drone on the US-Mexico border in Texas. The drone later turned out to belong to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), sparking accusations of incompetence within the Trump administration.
Second Laser Incident Disrupts Air Traffic in Two Weeks
This event marks the second time in two weeks that air traffic has been disrupted in the region due to the deployment of a high-energy laser against drones. The apparent confusion between two US government entities led to airspace being closed around Fort Hancock, located right along the border. Earlier this month, chaos ensued over El Paso, a city of about 700,000 roughly 50 miles from Fort Hancock, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) abruptly ordered airspace to be shut down for 10 days, only to lift the order eight hours later. The FAA cited "special security reasons," but it was later revealed that CBP had deployed a laser against what was thought to be a Mexican drug cartel drone but was actually a party balloon.
Lawmakers Demand Accountability and Investigation
Top Democratic members of Congress, including US representatives Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson, and André Carson, were briefed on the latest incident and expressed fury over what they described as an ongoing lack of coordination within the Trump administration. They stated, "our heads are exploding over the news," and accused the administration of "sidestepping" a bipartisan bill that would have improved training for drone operators and increased coordination between the FAA, the Pentagon, and CBP. "Now we're seeing the results of its incompetence," the trio added.
Senator Tammy Duckworth from Illinois, the ranking Democratic member on the Senate aviation subcommittee, has called for an independent investigation into both recent anti-drone incidents. "The Trump administration's incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies," she said.
Ongoing Disagreements Over Anti-Drone Laser Use
The airspace closure is situated across the US-Mexico border from the valley of Juárez, an area renowned as a border smuggling corridor linked to the Sinaloa drug cartel. New restrictions on airspace around Fort Hancock will remain in place until 24 June, according to an FAA notice. There appear to be ongoing disagreements between government agencies about how to handle the use of anti-drone lasers, which deploy high-powered beams to disable machines. The FAA is pressing for a safety review of the technology and wants all testing halted until completed, but Reuters reports that the Pentagon and CBP have indicated to congressional aides they believe they can use the laser systems without prior consultation with the FAA.
