Members of Congress on Thursday said their “heads are exploding” over reports that the Pentagon used a high-energy anti-drone laser to shoot down an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) belonging to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The statement from Representatives Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), André Carson (D-Ind.), and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)—all ranking members on House committees or subcommittees dealing with transportation or national security—came as multiple outlets reported the Pentagon’s use of the laser, prompting a second airspace closure in Texas this month.
A source told ABC that Congress was briefed on the incident Thursday.
“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 Pentagon, FAA, and CBP said in a joint statement. “The engagement took place far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity.”
A temporary flight restriction (TFR) issued by the FAA prohibits all aircraft from flying below 18,000 feet in a small swath of airspace over the border town of Fort Hancock, Texas, for “special security reasons.” Medical evacuation, air ambulance, and search and rescue flights must coordinate with the Albuquerque air route traffic control center (ARTCC). The TFR took effect at 6:30 p.m. MST on Thursday and is scheduled to extend through late June.
Fort Hancock is about 50 miles from El Paso, where the FAA earlier in February created a 10-day TFR to the surprise of local government officials, airport leadership, and air traffic controllers (ATCs).
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the sudden airspace closure came after CBP shot down a “cartel drone.” Later reports said the shutdown was due to testing of the anti-drone laser—which the Pentagon loaned to CBP in January to combat drug smuggling—at nearby Fort Bliss. Unnamed government sources suggested that CBP shot down a party balloon rather than a drone.
The New York Times reported that the FAA did not approve either use of the laser. The incidents have roiled Congress, with Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) calling for a classified briefing earlier this month.
“We said MONTHS ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS, and the FAA was a short-sighted idea,” said Larsen, Carson, and Thompson. “Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence.”
Counter-Drone Conundrum
Though there have been many reports of Mexican cartels using drones to smuggle contraband over the U.S. border in recent years, there is no consensus on the severity of the problem.
In July, the director of the Homeland Security Department’s counter-drone program testified to Congress that in the second half of 2024, officials detected 60,000 drone flights within about 1,600 feet of the border and seized 1,200 pounds of drugs. Mexican officials have downplayed the level of activity. Analysts believe the reality lies somewhere in between.
However, the government’s handling of counter-drone operations has raised questions.
Citing an unnamed Pentagon official, the Times reported that a preliminary internal report on the incident near Fort Hancock stated that CBP did not notify the DOD that it was flying a drone in the area, leading the Pentagon to treat it as an unknown UAS.
The Pentagon is required by law to coordinate with the FAA and Transportation Department before taking UAS mitigation action that could impact aviation safety or operations. But in the instances the anti-drone laser has been used, those activities have not been communicated to local officials.
Chris Canales, the city council representative for El Paso’s District 8, wrote on Reddit that the FAA did not inform civilian or military leaders about the airspace closure earlier this month. Canales said the TFR fueled “fear and speculation in our community” and estimated it could have cost the city “$40-50 million or more” had it lasted the full 10 days.
El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson in a news conference said that medical evacuation flights were diverted about 45 miles away to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and shipments of medical equipment were delayed while the TFR was active. Johnson called the lack of communication around the restrictions “unacceptable” and said it could “put lives at risk and create unnecessary danger and confusion.”
“This was a major and unnecessary disruption, one that has not occurred since 9/11,” Johnson said.
The government, though, is eager to ramp up its counter-drone capabilities. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, for example, created the C-UAS Grant Program, which over two years will distribute $500 million in funding across all states and territories to support “nationwide UAS detection and response capabilities.” Half of the money is dedicated to states hosting “National Special Security Events” such as 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
