Military laser misfire downs CBP drone in West Texas
A high‑energy military laser system accidentally shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone operating over the Fort Hancock area outside El Paso. The strike happened Wednesday but only surfaced after the FAA shut down nearby airspace late Thursday. It’s the second misfire in weeks — the same system recently targeted a party balloon mistaken for a cartel drone. This time, CBP hadn’t notified the Pentagon its aircraft would be in the area, raising fresh questions about communication lapses and how these systems are being deployed.