It was just weeks ago that a rather embarrassing incident by Donald Trump’s militaristic administration led to an airspace shutdown in El Paso, Texas. And after that incident, in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials fired an anti-drone laser after reportedly mistaking a party balloon for a “cartel drone incursion,” we now have an absurdly similar incident.
On Thursday, top congressional Democrats were again questioning the administration’s competence after the Defense Department reportedly fired another laser in Texas — at what turned out to be a CBP drone. The New York Times first reported the news, saying the incident resulted in the temporary closure of airspace above Fort Hancock, a community not far from El Paso. The Times’ report, which hasn’t been independently confirmed by MS NOW, suggested there was poor communication between CBP and the Defense Department.
A joint statement to the Times from the Pentagon, the Federal Aviation Administration and CBP didn’t include a denial:
‘This reported engagement occurred when the Department of War employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace,’ the statement read, adding that the Pentagon, the F.A.A. and Customs and Border Protection ‘will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.’
You may have noticed that Trump and his allies have spent ample time peddling bigoted lies that diversity, equity and inclusion policies were breeding incompetence and security risks at the Pentagon and, particularly, the FAA. And yet, despite the administration declaring that DEI is dead on numerous occasions, it’s noteworthy that the incompetence and security risks at these agencies seem more glaring than ever.
In a joint statement of their own, Democratic Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, André Carson of Indiana and Rick Larsen of Washington state — who each sit on homeland security and transportation-related committees — were apoplectic:
Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high-risk counter-unmanned aircraft system. We said MONTHS ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA was a short-sighted idea. Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence.
The lawmakers are referring to bipartisan legislation they backed that supports more training and improved federal coordination to assist “counter-unmanned aircraft system” operators — or people who take out drones.
Democrats are using the latest Texas incident to highlight the urgent need for such legislation. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said the reported lack of coordination is reminiscent of the deadly air crash that occurred shortly after Trump took office last year, in which a Defense Department helicopter collided with a commercial flight over the Potomac River in Washington.
“It’s this kind of failure to communicate between DoD and FAA that led to the tragic loss of life above DCA,” Duckworth wrote on X, referring to Reagan National Airport. She added:
It’s also deeply troubling to once again learn about this chaos in the news — rather than through official channels.
This situation is alarming and demands a thorough, independent investigation.
I’ll be calling on the IGs of DoD, DOT and DHS to launch a joint investigation immediately.”
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.