Whoops: US military laser strike takes down CBP drone near Mexican border

US Border Patrol agent from the Big Bend Sector demonstrates the use of a drone to detect undocumented migrants near the Marfa checkpoint in Texas on November 3, 2025. Credit: Getty Images | Herika Martinez

The US military mistakenly shot down a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone near the Mexican border in a strike that reportedly used a laser-based anti-drone system. The CBP uses drones to track people crossing the border.

“Congressional aides told Reuters the Pentagon used the high-energy laser system to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near the Mexican border, in an area that often has incursions from Mexican drones used by drug cartels,” Reuters reported last night.

The FAA closed some airspace along the border with Mexico in Fort Hancock, Texas, on Thursday with a notice announcing temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons. The restrictions are in place until June 24 but could ...