U.S. military reportedly shoots down DHS drone in Texas
New safety concerns are emerging after the U.S. military reportedly shot down a drone belonging to another branch of the federal government.
(NBC) -New safety concerns are emerging after the U.S. military reportedly shot down a drone belonging to another branch of the federal government, prompting an airspace shutdown over a small Texas border town.
According to The New York Times, the Department of Defense used a high-energy laser to target an unmanned aerial system that was later identified as belonging to the Department of Homeland Security.
In a statement, the government said the military responded to a “seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.”
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace around Fort Hancock, a small community along the U.S.-Mexico border. The closure comes just weeks after a separate drone incident led to broader airspace restrictions around El Paso, delaying commercial flights.
That earlier incident involved U.S. Customs and Border Protection using a laser to shoot down objects that were later identified as party balloons, despite initial statements suggesting the target was a cartel-operated drone.
The Fort Hancock airspace closure was initially expected to last several days but was lifted after only a few hours.
Aviation analyst John Goglia Guzzetti called the situation “very alarming,” citing serious questions about coordination between agencies.
“As far as the FAA is concerned, it’s all about safety. They need to know what the military is doing in the airspace,” Guzzetti said.
Lawmakers are now raising concerns about communication gaps between Homeland Security officials, the military, and aviation authorities. Senator Maria Cantwell questioned whether there is a broader coordination problem.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the FAA’s response, saying there was no breakdown in communication.
Still, several Democratic lawmakers issued a joint statement criticizing the incident, calling it “incompetence” and expressing alarm over what they described as troubling coordination failures.
