"Result of incompetence": US military shoots down US border police drone

The US military in Texas accidentally shot down a drone of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with a laser weapon, after which parts of the affected airspace were closed. The news agency AP reports. This happened near El Paso. The international airport there had only been closed two weeks ago due to the deployment of the anti-drone weapon. Why it was activated now is unclear. When they learned of the downing, their “heads exploded”, writes a group of influential lawmakers from the opposition Democrats. They criticize the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, and the aviation authority: “Now we see the result of this incompetence.”

Not the first incident

A system for defending against unmanned aerial vehicles was used “to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace,” Reuters quotes a statement from the authorities. The resulting closure of part of the airspace did not impact commercial aircraft this time, according to reports. The incident occurred far from inhabited areas, and there were no commercial aircraft nearby, Reuters further quotes. Drones from drug cartels have long been a problem in the area. They are used to locate US border police positions to hide smuggling activities from them.

Just two weeks ago, the US military caused a stir in El Paso when El Paso Airport was closed without any warning for ten days. However, this was reversed after only a few hours. Previously, the US military had used an anti-drone laser without coordinating with the US aviation authority. For safety reasons, the FAA therefore quickly closed the airspace. While those responsible for the weapon stated that devices used by drug cartels for smuggling across the border had been shot down, several media outlets have learned that only a party balloon was shot down.

(mho)