Summary
Following a closed-door briefing on March 4, 2026, bipartisan senators including ted-cruz (R-TX) and maria-cantwell (D-WA) criticized the department-of-war, faa, and CBP for poor interagency coordination during two back-to-back C-UAS incidents in Texas in mid-February 2026. In the first, CBP used a military laser on-loan from the Pentagon to shoot down an object near El Paso — later identified as Mylar balloons — causing the FAA to temporarily close airspace. In the second, troops shot down a CBP drone at fort-hancock that was launched without notifying the military task force on the U.S.-Mexico border. A senior defense official confirmed that jiatf-401 would conduct a high-energy laser C-UAS test with the FAA the following weekend. Senators also drew parallels to the 2024 Reagan National Airport midair collision and criticized the Pentagon’s withdrawal of support for the ROTOR Act air-safety bill.
Key Claims
- The two Texas incidents revealed a “lack of coordination” between DOD, FAA, and CBP on counter-drone employment (Cruz and Cantwell)
- CBP used a Pentagon-loaned military laser to shoot down an object near El Paso that turned out to be Mylar balloons, triggering FAA airspace closure (article reporting)
- U.S. troops shot down a CBP drone near fort-hancock because CBP failed to notify the border military task force (article reporting)
- jiatf-401 will conduct a high-energy laser C-UAS test with the FAA “this weekend” (anonymous senior defense official)
- The Pentagon withdrew support for the ROTOR Act and issued a press release Cruz called “objectively false” (Cruz)
- Cantwell plans to send a letter to Trump or the agencies on the coordination issue (Cantwell)
- Senators expressed doubt that similar incidents would be prevented going forward; Cantwell referenced the upcoming FIFA World Cup (Cantwell and Cruz)
Notable Quotes
“It’s clear that there were real challenges in terms of operationalizing counter-drone technology, and I think all the senators in the briefing urged the Department of War and CBP and the FAA to significantly improve their coordination.” — Sen. Ted Cruz
“Everyone wants to see hostile drones that are a threat incapacitated, but obviously we want to do so in a way that doesn’t pose a threat to civilian aircraft, and it ought to be possible to do both at the same time.” — Sen. Ted Cruz
“We already can see there’s a lack of coordination between the FAA and DOD with the crash in the Potomac, and we need people at a higher level.” — Sen. Maria Cantwell