The U.S. military used a laser to disable a Customs and Border Protection drone near El Paso, members of Congress said, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to close additional airspace in the area. Officials have not explained why the laser was used; it marks the second such firing in two weeks near El Paso.
By law, the military must notify the FAA when it takes counter-drone action inside U.S. airspace. In this case the FAA’s temporary closure was smaller than the one two weeks earlier and did not affect commercial airline service. The previous incident involved an anti-drone laser deployed by CBP near Fort Bliss, about 50 miles northwest, which reportedly did not hit a target and led the FAA to shut down El Paso airport and nearby airspace for a few hours, triggering multiple flight cancellations.
Lawmakers on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security panels said they were stunned when they received formal notice. Rep. Rick Larsen and two Democratic committee leaders said in a joint statement that they were furious and blamed the Trump administration for having sidestepped a bipartisan bill meant to improve training for drone operators and coordination among the Pentagon, FAA and Department of Homeland Security. In their words, ‘our heads are exploding’ and ‘now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence.’
The FAA, CBP and Pentagon released a joint statement saying the military ’employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.’ According to that statement, the action took place well away from populated areas and commercial flight paths and was part of broader efforts to strengthen border protections. The statement also said, ‘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,’ and said the administration is doing more to secure the border and crack down on cartels than prior administrations.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he planned to brief members of Congress and told reporters the FAA’s previous closure of El Paso airspace was not a mistake; he said he did not believe a communication breakdown caused the earlier disruption. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, ranking member on the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, called for independent investigations and described the administration’s handling as continuing ‘incompetence’ affecting safety in U.S. skies.
Concerns about interagency coordination have grown since last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The National Transportation Safety Board found the FAA and Army had not consistently shared safety data about numerous close calls near Reagan National Airport and had failed to address the risk.
Congress has recently expanded authority for more law enforcement agencies — including some state and local departments — to take down rogue drones, provided personnel receive appropriate training. The federal government has already distributed more than $250 million to help states prepare for drone threats at major events, and another $250 million in grants is expected to be awarded later this year to bolster drone defenses.
Drones have become an increasing problem along the southern border, where cartels use them to deliver drugs and surveil Border Patrol activity. Officials told Congress that more than 27,000 unmanned aircraft were detected within about 1,600 feet of the southern border during the latter half of 2024. Homeland Security estimates there are more than 1.7 million registered drones in the U.S., a figure that continues to rise.
Anti-drone technologies vary: some systems jam control signals, others use high-powered microwaves or directed-energy weapons such as lasers, like those used in Texas; some deploy small interceptor drones to collide with threats; and kinetic options that employ projectiles remain more common on battlefields than in domestic settings.