{"id":21475,"date":"2026-02-27T07:07:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/military-laser-cbp-drone\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T07:07:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:07:03","slug":"military-laser-cbp-drone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/military-laser-cbp-drone\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. military used laser to shoot down CBP drone near Texas border, lawmakers say"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h2>Lead<\/h2>\n<p>On Thursday the U.S. military fired a directed-energy laser at an unmanned aircraft near the U.S.\u2013Mexico border and later learned the drone belonged to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), lawmakers said. The event occurred near Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso, and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close a limited portion of airspace there. Officials said the military acted under counter\u2011unmanned aircraft authorities after deeming the drone a potential threat. Lawmakers and aviation officials have raised alarm about coordination and notification protocols after a similar laser deployment in the region two weeks earlier.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The military used a laser to disable a drone Thursday near Fort Hancock, roughly 50 miles (80 km) southeast of El Paso.<\/li>\n<li>The drone was later identified as belonging to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to lawmakers.<\/li>\n<li>The FAA temporarily closed additional airspace around Fort Hancock; commercial flights were not reported affected during this closure.<\/li>\n<li>This was the second laser counter\u2011drone event in the area in two weeks; the earlier deployment near Fort Bliss led to a brief El Paso airspace shutdown and some flight cancellations.<\/li>\n<li>Congress has recently expanded authorities and funding for local and state agencies to counter rogue drones, with more than $250 million already distributed and another $250 million planned this year.<\/li>\n<li>Border officials reported more than 27,000 drones detected within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024, highlighting rising drone activity.<\/li>\n<li>There are an estimated 1.7 million registered drones in the United States, increasing the complexity of airspace safety and enforcement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>U.S. agencies have been stepping up counter\u2011drone measures along the southern border in response to growing use of small unmanned aircraft by criminal groups and other actors. Cartels have used drones for smuggling and surveillance, and federal officials have flagged numerous drone detections near the border; Congress and executive agencies have treated the issue as a fast\u2011escalating security and aviation safety concern. Until recently, relatively few law enforcement entities were authorized to take down drones; in the last months Congress expanded permission for certain state and local agencies to act if they meet training and coordination criteria.<\/p>\n<p>The FAA requires formal notification whenever military or other authorities take counter\u2011drone action in domestic airspace, a rule intended to protect commercial and civilian flights. Coordination problems between agencies have surfaced before: an earlier incident in the region saw CBP deploy an anti\u2011drone laser near Fort Bliss and the FAA subsequently close El Paso airspace for safety, disrupting airport operations. Those events intensified scrutiny from lawmakers worried about cross\u2011agency communication and operational safeguards.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>According to lawmakers who were briefed, the military on Thursday engaged a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system with a laser while it was operating within designated military airspace near Fort Hancock. After the action, officials determined the downed aircraft was a CBP asset conducting border operations. The FAA responded by temporarily restricting a limited block of airspace around the site to ensure safety while authorities assessed the situation.<\/p>\n<p>The joint notice issued by FAA, CBP and Defense acknowledged the military had used counter\u2011UAS authorities to mitigate a perceived threat and said the action occurred away from populated areas and commercial flight paths. Officials emphasized that the deployment was part of wider efforts to bolster security at the border, but they also confirmed the military is required to formally inform the FAA when it takes counter\u2011drone measures inside U.S. airspace.<\/p>\n<p>This episode followed another laser deployment two weeks earlier near Fort Bliss that prompted a broader FAA closure over El Paso and led to several flight cancellations in the metropolitan area. That earlier event reportedly involved CBP firing an anti\u2011drone laser without prior coordination with the FAA, a lapse that officials said caused the more disruptive airspace shutdown. In the Fort Hancock case, the closure was smaller and commercial flights were not reported affected.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>The recurrence of directed\u2011energy deployments in Texas underscores a policy tension: agencies need tools to counter increasingly capable and numerous small drones, but those tools carry risks in congested domestic airspace. Directed\u2011energy systems, high\u2011power microwaves and jamming capabilities can neutralize threats quickly, yet their use requires precise protocols to avoid damaging friendly assets or creating hazards for civilian aircraft. The mistaken\u2011identity element in this episode highlights gaps in real\u2011time identification and interagency notice.<\/p>\n<p>Operationally, the incident raises legal and procedural questions. Federal rules require the military to inform the FAA of counter\u2011UAS actions inside U.S. airspace; failure to do so, or delays in notification, can force the FAA into reactive airspace closures to protect commercial aviation. Lawmakers are likely to press for clearer lines of authority, faster information\u2011sharing systems, and mandatory training or certification when multiple agencies operate overlapping counter\u2011drone systems near public airspace.<\/p>\n<p>Strategically, the events fuel congressional momentum for funding and broader authorities for state and local partners. Lawmakers have already approved expanded takedown powers for more agencies and allocated hundreds of millions in grant funding to strengthen domestic drone defenses ahead of major events. However, expanding the number of actors with takedown authority increases the need for interoperable communications and standardized tactics to prevent incidents like this one.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Incident<\/th>\n<th>Location<\/th>\n<th>Agency that fired<\/th>\n<th>FAA impact<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Most recent (Thursday)<\/td>\n<td>Fort Hancock (~50 mi \/ 80 km SE of El Paso)<\/td>\n<td>U.S. military<\/td>\n<td>Limited airspace closure; commercial flights unaffected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Two weeks earlier<\/td>\n<td>Near Fort Bliss \/ El Paso<\/td>\n<td>CBP<\/td>\n<td>Broader FAA closure; some flight cancellations in El Paso<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table shows two distinct deployments of laser\u2011type counter\u2011drone systems in the same Texas border region within a two\u2011week span. Federal officials have reported rising drone detections near the border \u2014 more than 27,000 detections within 1,600 feet (500 meters) in the last six months of 2024 \u2014 and roughly 1.7 million registered drones nationwide, driving demand for defensive systems and coordination mechanisms.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cOur heads are exploding over the news,\u201d said Rep. Rick Larsen and two other top Democrats on House panels after being notified, expressing shock at the mistaken engagement of a CBP drone.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Rep. Rick Larsen and colleagues (House Democrats)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Their statement criticized the administration for bypassing bipartisan reforms intended to improve training and communication among the Pentagon, FAA and the Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe administration\u2019s incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies,\u201d said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, calling for an independent investigation into how agencies coordinate on air safety and counter\u2011drone actions.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Senate)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he planned to brief Congress on the incident and told reporters that the FAA\u2019s earlier El Paso closure was not a mistake and that he did not believe the problems stemmed solely from communication failures.<\/p>\n<h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Counter\u2011drone systems<\/summary>\n<p>Counter\u2011unmanned aircraft systems (counter\u2011UAS) include a range of technologies: radio frequency jammers that disrupt control links; high\u2011power microwave systems that can disable electronics; directed\u2011energy lasers that can burn out components or sensors; interceptor drones that collide with or capture intruding UAVs; and kinetic options that rely on projectiles. Each approach has trade\u2011offs in range, precision and risk to nearby people and aircraft. Domestic deployments usually require strict interagency coordination and FAA notification to avoid creating hazards for civilian air traffic.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Whether procedural notification to the FAA was delayed in the Fort Hancock incident remains under review and has not been publicly confirmed by all agencies.<\/li>\n<li>Full technical details about the laser system used, including its model and exact operational parameters, have not been released.<\/li>\n<li>Any internal after\u2011action findings or disciplinary steps by involved agencies have not been made public at the time of this report.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>This event exposes the operational friction between the need to counter an accelerating drone threat at the southern border and the safety imperative to protect civilian airspace. The military\u2019s engagement of what turned out to be a CBP aircraft underscores persistent identification and coordination challenges when multiple federal entities operate counter\u2011drone systems in overlapping airspace.<\/p>\n<p>Expect intensified congressional scrutiny, calls for independent review, and pressure to formalize notification, training and real\u2011time information\u2011sharing protocols among the Pentagon, FAA and DHS. Policymakers will face a trade\u2011off: broaden defensive capabilities and authorities to address rising drone threats, while tightening rules and systems to prevent mistaken engagements that can disrupt civil aviation and erode public trust.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/military-laser-border-drone-texas-airport-55aaab7093f7d6dd174f909f3875001c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AP News \u2014 Associated Press (news report)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead On Thursday the U.S. military fired a directed-energy laser at an unmanned aircraft near the U.S.\u2013Mexico border and later learned the drone belonged to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), lawmakers said. The event occurred near Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso, and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) &#8230; <a title=\"U.S. military used laser to shoot down CBP drone near Texas border, lawmakers say\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/military-laser-cbp-drone\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about U.S. military used laser to shoot down CBP drone near Texas border, lawmakers say\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"U.S. military used laser to down CBP drone \u2014 BorderWatch","rank_math_description":"The U.S. military fired a laser at a drone near Fort Hancock, Texas\u2014later identified as a CBP aircraft\u2014prompting an FAA airspace closure and renewed questions about interagency coordination.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"military laser,CBP drone,Fort Hancock,FAA,border drones","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}