Democrats outraged at US military’s downing of CBP drone near Mexico border

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Ed PilkingtonFebruary 27, 2026 at 03:37 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Democratic members of Congress are criticizing the Trump administration after the U.S. military shot down a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone near Fort Hancock, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday. This incident, involving a laser, caused airspace closure and marks the second time in two weeks that air traffic has been disrupted in the region due to anti-drone measures. Earlier this month, airspace was briefly shut down over El Paso when CBP used a laser against what they believed was a drug cartel drone, but was actually a party balloon. Lawmakers are accusing the administration of incompetence and lack of coordination between agencies like the FAA, Pentagon, and CBP, and are calling for an independent investigation into both incidents. The affected airspace is near a known smuggling corridor linked to the Sinaloa drug cartel.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

El Paso ×250% André Carson 50% Rick Larsen 50% Bennie Thompson 50% Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ×260% Texas 60% Fort Hancock ×260% Tammy Duckworth 60% US military ×270% Trump administration ×380% US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ×590% United States-Mexico border ×290%

Keywords

drone downing 90% us-mexico border 80% us military 70% cbp drone 70% airspace closure 60% trump administration 50% lack of coordination 50% laser technology 50% drug cartel 40%