On Feb. 26, the Pentagon shot down “a seemingly threatening” drone in southwest Texas that was later revealed to belong to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
A U.S. official shared that a laser weapon was used to neutralize the drone, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close airspace around Fort Hancock, a small community near the U.S.-Mexico Border and about 50 miles southeast of El Paso.
"This reported engagement occurred when the Department of War employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace," the Department of War, CBP, and the FAA shared in a joint statement late Thursday night.
The incident marks the second instance of a laser being fired in the area; the last time was just two weeks prior.
The military is obligated to notify the FAA when it conducts countermeasures against potential threats within U.S. airspace.
"The engagement took place far away from populated areas, and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity," the statement announced. "These agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future."
The previous incident occurred near Fort Bliss, additionally forcing the FAA to halt air traffic at El Paso airport and its vicinity.
Democratic Reps. Rick Larsen, André Carson, and Bennie Thompson -- all members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure -- expressed in a joint statement, "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."
“Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” they added, referring to the lack of coordination between the agencies.
“At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border,” the agencies' statement shared.
