NEW YORK, February 13. /TASS/. The US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) fired at several party balloons using top-secret laser weaponry, mistaking them for drug cartel drones, which led to the closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, and much of southern New Mexico, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
It turned out that the experimental laser system used by the military can, according to the publication, "pose serious risk to commercial aviation." This incident plunged El Paso into chaos for several hours and sparked outrage in Washington, particularly at the Pentagon, where officials tried to determine what happened and who was to blame, the publication stated.
According to lawmakers and experts familiar with the situation, the cause of the conflict was a misunderstanding between the Pentagon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding who is responsible for neutralizing drone threats near major airports and military bases, and over the use of laser weapons for this purpose.
Last month, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth approved the transfer of the strictly classified AeroVironment Locust laser system to the CBP for use at the Fort Bliss army base in El Paso. Customs and Border Protection, in turn, notified the FAA of its desire to use laser weapons in the Fort Bliss area. However, the FAA opposed it, warning of the risk this would pose to commercial aviation. CBP ignored the warning and used the weapon, shooting down several objects that operators at the time mistook for Mexican cartel drones.
The Federal Aviation Administration then issued a notice that the airspace over El Paso would be closed for the next 10 days, without previously informing White House officials, the Pentagon, or the Department of Homeland Security about the airport closure.