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US Department of Defense personnel mistakenly downed a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone near the US–Mexico border using a high-energy, laser-based counter-drone system, after the aircraft was treated as an unknown drone in an area where cartel-linked drone incursions are common. Reporting indicates the incident occurred near Fort Hancock, Texas, and triggered FAA temporary flight restrictions/airspace closure in the area; accounts differ on the exact day of the shootdown and when the FAA was notified.
Multiple reports attribute the incident to coordination and notification failures between DoD, the FAA, and CBP drone operators. Sources cited by major outlets indicate DoD did not realize the drone belonged to CBP at the time of engagement and that required FAA coordination for counter-drone actions in US airspace may not have occurred in advance. The event was elevated to congressional oversight, with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members publicly criticizing the administration’s handling of counter-UAS operations; coverage also notes a separate, earlier February laser-related airspace disruption in the region, underscoring recurring operational risk around laser-based counter-drone deployments.
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Congressional officials disclosed that the accidental shootdown of the CBP drone had been reported to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Ranking members criticized the administration for bypassing legislation meant to fund counter-UAS training and improve coordination among the DoD, DHS, and FAA.
U.S. military personnel accidentally used a laser weapon to bring down a U.S. Customs and Border Protection drone operating near Fort Hancock, Texas, in a friendly-fire incident on the U.S.-Mexico border. Because counter-drone actions in U.S. airspace require FAA notification, the surrounding airspace was shut down after the shootdown.
Before the later CBP drone incident, a laser weapon was fired at what authorities mistakenly believed was a Mexican cartel drone near El Paso, Texas. The event led to a shutdown of El Paso International Airport and highlighted risks around counter-drone operations in domestic airspace.
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U.S. authorities have expanded counter-drone operations that can disrupt airspace and rely on technical methods to seize or disable unmanned aircraft. In one reported incident, airspace over El Paso was temporarily closed after the Pentagon authorized Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser, underscoring how drone threats are increasingly affecting civilian aviation and border-area operations. At the same time, civil-liberties advocates warned that some counter-UAS programs depend on exploiting weak drone security or undisclosed vulnerabilities to take control of aircraft. The concerns follow reporting that the FBI has taken over drones near the Inglewood stadium during World Cup security operations and that vendors such as **D-Fend Solutions** market RF-based "cyber takeover" tools, raising fears that retaining such flaws for government use could leave consumer drones and control protocols broadly exposed to malicious actors.
Jul 31, 2026
U.S. military leaders said small unmanned aircraft are increasingly threatening both domestic installations and overseas operations, prompting a broader push to improve counter-drone defenses. Gen. Gregory Guillot told lawmakers that **350 drone detections** were reported over the past year across **100 U.S. military installations**, with the primary concern being surveillance of sensitive capabilities by known and unknown actors. He said existing authorities under `Title 10, Section 130i` are too narrow because only about half of installations are covered and commanders often cannot act against drones flying just outside base perimeters. NORTHCOM and NORAD have since established a dedicated counter-drone operations branch, and the Pentagon designated NORTHCOM as the lead coordinator for counter-small UAS efforts in the continental United States and Alaska. At the same time, the Pentagon is continuing to send counter-UAS systems to the Middle East through **Joint Interagency Task Force 401** as regional tensions and an unstable ceasefire sustain demand for air defense. JIATF-401 said it committed more than **$600 million** in counter-drone defenses for Operation Epic Fury and domestic missions, including about **$350 million** in roughly 30 days for CENTCOM. Officials and outside experts said the threat now spans Iran-backed drone activity, lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, unauthorized flights over bases such as **Barksdale Air Force Base**, southern border operations, and security planning for major events including the **2026 FIFA World Cup**. The Defense Department is also testing commercially available systems through Falcon Peak exercises to detect, track, identify, and defeat low-emission and no-emission drones.
Jun 29, 2026
U.S. officials raised security alerts after **unidentified drones** were detected over highly sensitive domestic military sites during the opening phase of the conflict with Iran. One report says drones were spotted over **Fort Lesley J. McNair** in Washington, where senior officials including Secretary of State **Marco Rubio** and Defense Secretary **Pete Hegseth** reside, prompting emergency White House discussions, consideration of relocating officials, and broader force-protection measures including **FPCON Charlie** at some bases and increased security for diplomatic missions. Separately, **U.S. Northern Command** said forces used a new counter-drone **Flyaway Kit** to detect and defeat a small unmanned aircraft threat over an undisclosed **strategic U.S. installation** shortly after the start of **Operation Epic Fury**. The incident was cited by Gen. Gregory Guillot as evidence that rapidly deployable counter-`sUAS` capabilities are becoming an operational tool for defending domestic installations, amid a wider rise in drone incursions over U.S. bases and critical infrastructure. The two reports align on the broader story of elevated concern over drone surveillance or attack risks against sensitive U.S. government and military locations, though they do not confirm the same exact installation or single incident.
Jun 29, 2026