FAA restricts Texas airspace after Pentagon reportedly strikes down Customs and Border Protection drone

By Fox News · Fox News

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restricted flights Thursday near Fort Hancock, Texas, after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone was reportedly shot down by a laser sytem operated by the Pentagon. While government agencies have not identified who the drone belonged to, top Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a joint statement Thursday evening claiming the drone belonged to CBP. U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson and Andre Carson said their "heads are exploding over the news" that a CBP drone was shot down by the Pentagon with "a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system." The legislators added that this incident is "the result of [the White House's] incompetence" after a "short-sighted" decision to "sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA." REPUBLICANS RAISE ALARM OVER US VULNERABILITY TO MASS DRONE STRIKES AFTER ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT In a joint statement provided to Fox News Digital, the Department of War, CBP and the FAA said the DoW used counter-unmanned aircraft system to respond to a "seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace." The departments said the engagement took place "far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity," adding they "will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future." The departments said they are "working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border ." "The bottom line is the Trump Administration is doing more to secure the border and crack down on cartels than any administration in history," the statement added. FBI RAMPS UP COUNTER-DRONE EFFORTS AS PATEL WARNS OF GROWING THREATS FROM CRIMINALS, TERRORISTS Congressional aides told Reuters th…