The U.S. military used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone in Texas, forcing the closure of more airspace near El Paso, and CNN's Pete Muntean tried to explain what happened.
It's not yet clear why the laser was used against the drone – the second such instance in two weeks in that area – but the incident again shows a breakdown in communication between the military and the Federal Aviation Administration, which is required to receive notification of counter-drone activity within U.S. airspace.
"I just got a veryrare joint statement from theagencies involved in this," Muntean told "CNN News Central," "which signals the Trump administrationand the White House is reallyplaying cleanup right now, sincethis sounds a lot like the El Paso incident of two weeks ago,when an anti-drone laser wasused without concern forcommercial flights. Thatincident led the FAA to triggera chaotic emergency airspaceshutdown, and really highlightedthe lack of basic communication between government agencies."
"This new case is described bythree Democrats in Congress asessentially a friendly fireincident involving a governmentdrone," he added. "A congressional aidetells me that these members,including the top Democrat onthe committee overseeing Homeland Security and also Transportation, were told aboutthis incident through officialchannels yesterday, and in astatement, they say the militaryshot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using whatthose House Democrats call ahigh-risk counter-unmannedaircraft system."
The FAA has shut down the airspace over the border town of Fort Hancock, Texas, but that restriction covers only a nine-mile radius instead of the 20-mile restriction over El Paso earlier this month, and Muntean said the joint statement did not disclose when the incident took place.
"Theagencies say this reportedengagement occurred when the Department of War employedcounter-unmanned aircraft systemauthorities to mitigate aseemingly threatening unmannedaerial system operating withinmilitary airspace," Muntean said. "By the way, Congress has still not beenbriefed officially on that El Paso incident of two weeks ago,though there have been reallymajor calls to do so now. Acongressional aide tells meit's time for the military tobrief them on this incident, toreally highlighting maybe themilitary and the government hasnot learned its lesson about using these counter dronesystems at the border with somuch concern there about droneincursions over the border."