The Division of Protection mistakenly shot down a Customs and Border Safety drone over El Paso, based on a press release from Home representatives and a congressional aide.
Congress was briefed on the incident on Thursday, a supply confirmed to ABC Information.
The Federal Aviation Administration has expanded its momentary flight restrictions over the Fort Hancock airspace in Texas, about 50 miles to the southeast of El Paso, which prohibits all flight operations there via June 24, as a result of “safety” causes.
The placement of the airspace restriction doesn’t affect industrial flights, based on the FAA.
Rating members of the Home Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure launched a press release on the incident, saying, “Our heads are exploding over the information that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Safety drone utilizing a excessive threat counter-unmanned plane system.”
A US Customs and Border Safety (CBP) car patrols alongside the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas on January 22, 2025. On his first day again in workplace US President Donald Trump declared a nationwide emergency on the southern border “to repel the disastrous invasion of our nation.” (Photograph by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photograph by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Charly Triballeau/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The assertion, from Rick Larsen, D-Wash., André Carson, D-Ind. and Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., known as out the White Home immediately.
“We mentioned MONTHS in the past that the White Home’s choice to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee invoice to appropriately practice C-UAS operators and handle the dearth of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA was a short-sighted thought. Now, we’re seeing the results of its incompetence,” the members mentioned.
U.S. Northern Command declined to remark, and the Division of Protection and the Division of Homeland Safety didn’t instantly reply to ABC Information’ request for remark.
The incident comes after the FAA’s abrupt shutdown of airspace over El Paso earlier this month.
Sources with direct information advised ABC Information on the time that it got here days after a laser was utilized by the Division of Homeland Safety to shoot down an object within the neighborhood of Fort Bliss. One of many sources mentioned the article was a balloon.
The FAA imposed a shock 10-day shutdown of airspace inside a 10-mile radius of El Paso, halting all arrivals and departures at its airport for what it initially described solely as “particular safety causes.”
Inside hours, the FAA rescinded the order. The Trump administration mentioned the closing of airspace was associated to the navy neutralizing cartel drones, not a balloon.
