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(Bloomberg) — The Pentagon accidentally shot down a US Customs and Border Protection drone on the Texas border with Mexico using a high-energy laser, according to people familiar with the matter, weeks after another incident led to confusion and exposed communication lapses among several US agencies.
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The Defense Department didn’t realize the drone was being flown by CBP when it shot it down, the people said. The military had not first coordinated the use of the laser system with the US Federal Aviation Administration, which was notified Wednesday after the event occurred, according to one of the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the event.
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Earlier this month, the FAA temporarily closed the airspace near El Paso because of concerns over the use of the same laser system and the potential impact on civil aircraft at El Paso International Airport.
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The FAA imposed flight restrictions, which drew a backlash from local officials and were initially intended to last 10 days, on Feb. 10 but lifted them the following day.
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Administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, said the closure occurred because drones flown by Mexican drug cartels breached American airspace. Yet other people familiar with the situation said it was really because of the Department of Homeland Security’s operation of the Pentagon’s laser system without coordination with the FAA.
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Earlier: El Paso Shutdown Puts Focus on Army’s Struggle to Counter Drones
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The closure and conflicting explanations for it created confusion as to what really happened, leading lawmakers in both the US House and Senate to request briefings.
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The White House, the Transportation Department, the FAA, DHS and the Defense Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday night.
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The laser is the Army’s Locust system, manufactured by AeroVironment Inc.
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—With assistance from Jen Judson, Courtney McBride and Jennifer A. Dlouhy.
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English (US)