FAA closes airspace in Fort Hancock, Texas after reported accidental use of anti-drone laser

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) barred flights on Thursday in an area around Fort Hancock, Texas, afterlawmakers said a militarylaser-basedanti-dronesystemwas believed to have beenused by the Pentagon toaccidentally shoot down a U.S. governmentdrone.

TheFAAand Pentagon did not immediately comment, but theFAAcited “special security reasons” in its notice about the restrictions on theairspacenear the Mexican border.

U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson and Andre Carson, top Democrats on committees overseeing aviation and Homeland Security issues, said in a joint statement the Pentagonreportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protectiondrone (CBP), and criticized the lack of coordination.

Congressional aides told Reuters the Pentagon was believed to haveused the high-energylasersystem toaccidentally shoot down the CBPdronenear the Mexican border, in an area that often has incursions from Mexicandronesused by drug cartels. CBP and the White Housedid not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In February, theFAAsaid it was halting traffic for 10 days at the airport in nearby El Paso,Texas, only toreverse courseand lift its orderafterabout eight hours.FortHancockis about 50 miles (80 km) from El Paso.

Reuters and other mediareportedthat closure stemmed from concerns about theuseof thelaser-basedanti-dronesystem and that theFAAhad agreed to drop its restrictions around El Paso if the Pentagon agreed to delay further testing pending anFAAsafety review.

Aides said there was a lack of coordination between theFAAand the Pentagon. The government informed congressional offices about the El Paso closure as well as theFortHancockincident late on Thursday.

TheFAAnotice barred all flights in theFortHancockarea but said air ambulance or search and rescue flights can be authorized with the Joint Task Force-Southern Border. The flight restrictions are to last until June 24.