Dept. of Defense shoots down Customs and Border Protection drone near El Paso: Officials

The recent incident involving the Department of Defense mistakenly shooting down a Customs and Border Protection drone over El Paso has raised concerns and criticism from congressional representatives. According to a statement released by House members and a congressional aide, the incident occurred in military airspace, far away from populated areas and commercial aircraft.

Congress was briefed on the incident, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended temporary flight restrictions over the Fort Hancock airspace in Texas. This restriction, in place until June 24, prohibits all flight operations for security reasons. The location of the airspace restriction does not impact commercial flights, as confirmed by the FAA.

In response to the incident, the Pentagon, CBP, and FAA issued a joint statement acknowledging the engagement and emphasizing the need for increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future. The statement did not provide specific details about the drone shot down but mentioned efforts to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Congressional Democrats criticized the incident, particularly the use of a high-risk counter-unmanned aircraft system by the Department of Defense. Ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure expressed concern over the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, and FAA in addressing such incidents.

The incident comes after the FAA’s sudden shutdown of airspace over El Paso earlier this month, following reports of a laser being used to shoot down an object near Fort Bliss. The FAA initially described the closure as being for “special security reasons” before rescinding the order. The Trump administration clarified that the airspace closure was related to military actions against cartel drones, not a balloon as initially reported.

The statement from congressional representatives highlights the need for proper training of C-UAS operators and better coordination among relevant agencies to prevent similar incidents in the future. The incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced in securing the U.S.-Mexico border and addressing threats from unauthorized drones.