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CBP fires laser at balloons

2h

CBP fired a laser at objects believed to be cartel drones over El Paso, prompting the FAA to close airspace for hours until they proved to be party balloons.

by Timothy D. McBride

7%
mcbridetd.bsky.social
Closing of El Paso Airspace Adds to Tension Between F.A.A. and Pentagon www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Closing of El Paso Airspace Adds to Tension Between F.A.A. and Pentagon
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:40 PM

by Timothy D. McBride

7%
mcbridetd.bsky.social
CBP shot down party balloons with anti-drone tech before FAA closed El Paso airspace, sources say www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
CBP shot down party balloons with anti-drone tech before FAA closed El Paso airspace, sources say
The airspace was suddenly closed after CBP officials didn't coordinate with FAA officials, four people familiar with the matter said.
www.nbcnews.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Tages-Anzeiger
Absurd incident: Airspace over El Paso closed for hours - because US authorities fired lasers at party balloons

Over the Texas city this week, a state of emergency lasted for hours. But contrary to claims by the Trump administration, it was not drug-cartel drones involved, but harmless balloons.

Absurd incident: Airspace over El Paso closed for hours - because US authorities fired lasers at party balloons
Reposts 2 7h

by Michael B. Bishku

5%
mbishku.bsky.social
CBP shot down party balloons with anti-drone tech before FAA closed El Paso airspace, sources say — Good to know that there will no invasion of party balloons over US territory…🙄
February 13, 2026 at 5:34 AM
New York Times
Closing of El Paso Airspace Adds to Tension Between F.A.A. and Pentagon

The Federal Aviation Administration is charged with flight safety, and the Defense Department with national security. Those missions keep colliding.

Closing of El Paso Airspace Adds to Tension Between F.A.A. and Pentagon
Reposts 4 13h
The Wall Street Journal
When Customs and Border Protection fired a laser thinking it was aiming at cartel drones, leading the FAA to close the airspace over El Paso—and causing an uproar in Washington

CBP fired the laser thinking it was aiming at cartel drones, leading the FAA to close the airspace over El Paso-and causing an uproar in Washington.

When Customs and Border Protection fired a laser thinking it was aiming at cartel drones, leading the FAA to close the airspace over El Paso—and causing an uproar in Washington
Reposts 6 15h
New York Times
Do Drug Cartels Actually Use Drones at the Border?

U. S. officials warn that cartel-operated drones on the border pose a major threat. Mexican officials are less certain. Analysts say the answer is likely in between.

Do Drug Cartels Actually Use Drones at the Border?
Reposts 0 17h
New York Times
El Paso Incident Highlights Gaps in America’s Drone Defense Industry

The U. S. has spent billions of dollars developing counter-drone technology, but much of it needs more testing in the real world.

El Paso Incident Highlights Gaps in America’s Drone Defense Industry
Reposts 2 17h
La Repubblica
In Texas, 'drone invasion from Mexico,' but the U.S. laser cannon shoots down a balloon

The fiasco that led to the closure of El Paso International Airport. The Pentagon has granted Border Patrol agents a secret hi-tech weapon, whose use caused chaos in the skies.

In Texas, 'drone invasion from Mexico,' but the U.S. laser cannon shoots down a balloon
Reposts 1 21h
La Repubblica
In Texas, 'drone invasion from Mexico,' but the U.S. laser cannon shoots down a balloon

The fiasco that led to the closure of El Paso International Airport. The Pentagon has granted Border Patrol agents a secret hi-tech weapon, whose use caused chaos in the skies.

Reposts 2 21h

by Virginia Sapiro

7%
vsapiro.bsky.social
Feeling better and better about flying with the current regime in charge. www.washingtonpost.com/transportati...
Breakdown between Pentagon, FAA led to flight stoppage, officials say
An extraordinary 10-day restriction on flights around El Paso was issued late Tuesday and lifted hours later, over concerns about the Defense Department’s use of a laser counter-drone weapon.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:07 PM

Reposted by John R. Hutchinson, Michael Zimmer

7%
kashhill.bsky.social
I am increasingly scared of flying and this does not help.

The reason the El Paso Airport was closed, my colleagues report, is that federal agents shot a laser into the sky that could take down an airplane.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
February 12, 2026 at 4:58 PM

Reposted by Christina Pagel

1%
trumpactiontracker.bsky.social
the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly declare that the nearby airspace would be shut down for 10 days, an extraordinary pause that was lifted Wednesday at the direction of the White House. Top administration officials quickly claimed that the closure was ...

TAT: [Controlling Information]
Border Officials Are Said to Have Caused El Paso Closure by Firing Anti-Drone Laser
People familiar with the episode said the use of the technology was not coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials targeted what they thought was a drug cartel drone, but turned out to be a party balloon, they said.
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:27 PM

by Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

5%
olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
what I most appreciate about this update: when I first heard of this story I *do* recall thinking "no this isn't dumb enough"

bsky.app/profile/tyle...
tyleraking.com Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 1d
According to multiple NYT sources, it wasn’t even military personnel at Fort Bliss that fired an anti-drone laser at alleged cartel drones. It was CBP who used the weapon on loan from DoD against a child’s party balloon they mistook for a drone. The Pentagon gave CBP an anti-aircraft weapon.
February 12, 2026 at 1:45 PM

Reposted by Steve Peers, Cullen S. Hendrix

5%
explaintrade.com
"Hegseth's Pentagon gives CBP an anti-drone laser and they almost immediately misuse it to fire on a child's party balloon, shutting down local airspace," would be rejected as a side plot in Veep for being too unrealistic and too on the nose as a metaphor.
February 12, 2026 at 1:42 PM

by Jeremi Suri

5%
jeremisuri.bsky.social
El Paso airport absurdity - my analysis. open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
These Guys Can’t Shoot Straight
El Paso’s airspace was abruptly shut for “10 days” and reopened hours later, flights disrupted, officials left in the dark, and a CBP counter-drone move exposed federal chaos.
open.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:41 PM

by David Rothschild

4%
davmicrot.bsky.social
Miracle Homeland Security has not murdered more innocent civilians than it already has this year. These are not just poorly trained racist misogynists, but also reckless idiots. Add this to list of things that should be discussed when Noem & Hegseth get accountability for their crimes against US.
tyleraking.com Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 1d
According to multiple NYT sources, it wasn’t even military personnel at Fort Bliss that fired an anti-drone laser at alleged cartel drones. It was CBP who used the weapon on loan from DoD against a child’s party balloon they mistook for a drone. The Pentagon gave CBP an anti-aircraft weapon.
February 12, 2026 at 1:36 PM

by Dean Baker

0%

by Julie Novkov

7%
jnovkov.bsky.social
I know there is a lot going on, but we deserve a full explanation of this episode.
Why was the El Paso airport shut down? What we know
The restriction initially prohibited all aircraft operations in El Paso to shut down for 10 days. Here's what we know about what caused the closure.
www.elpasotimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:22 PM

by Amir Attaran

1%
amirattaran.bsky.social
I was wrong to badmouth the Jewish Space Laser. It’s better than the Trump version which takes out party balloons.
Border Officials Are Said to Have Caused El Paso Closure by Firing Anti-Drone Laser
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:02 PM
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