US Military Accidentally Shoots Down Border Patrol Drone With Laser Near Texas Border

The U.S. military accidentally shot down a friendly Customs and Border Protection drone near the southern border using a high-energy laser weapon, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to close airspace near El Paso, Texas, for the second time in over two weeks. Federal lawmakers confirmed the military used a directed-energy laser to target and destroy the drone, raising questions about coordination between military and civilian agencies operating in the same airspace along the border.