The US military has accidentally destroyed a second Customs and Border Protection drone with a laser weapon near the Mexican border, creating a disturbing pattern of friendly fire incidents in just two weeks. The latest strike disrupted civilian air traffic operations and prompted fierce criticism from Democratic lawmakers.
This marks the second time in 14 days that military personnel mistakenly identified a CBP drone as a hostile threat and engaged it with laser weapons. The previous incident occurred under similar circumstances along the southern border, raising serious questions about military identification protocols.
Senator Tammy Duckworth led the Democratic response, stating that the Trump administration's "incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies." The Illinois Democrat and military veteran expressed outrage at what she characterized as a breakdown in basic military procedures. Other Democratic lawmakers echoed her concerns, demanding immediate answers about how US forces could repeatedly mistake clearly marked government aircraft for threats.
The incidents have disrupted critical border surveillance operations at a time when the administration has emphasized border security as a top priority. CBP drones provide essential intelligence gathering and monitoring capabilities along the vast southern border. Each destroyed drone represents both a significant financial loss and a gap in border coverage.
Military officials have yet to provide detailed explanations for either incident, though they acknowledge the strikes occurred during what they believed were defensive actions. The pattern suggests systemic problems with threat identification procedures that could have far more serious consequences if similar mistakes occur with manned aircraft.