Pentagon shoots down government drone in Texas accident, congressional aides say

Congressional aides told Reuters the Pentagon was believed to have used the high-energy laser system to shoot down the Customs and Border Protection drone near the Mexican border.

27 Feb, 03:40 — 27 Feb, 05:40

Post Share

Why this matters

This story highlights a significant accidental friendly-fire incident involving advanced military technology and a domestic government agency, raising concerns about inter-agency coordination and the safe deployment of counter-drone systems within US airspace. The mention of a 'second airspace mix-up' suggests a potential pattern of such incidents, underscoring the need for improved protocols.

Key entitiesPentagon US military Customs and Border Protection Texas Congressional aides / Lawmakers Mexican border

The Story

What 3 sources agree on, dispute, and miss

What sources agree on

The Pentagon or US military shot down a government drone.
The incident occurred in Texas.
The drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection.
Congressional aides or lawmakers are the primary sources for this information.

Key claims1 agreed · 5 unverified

✓

The Pentagon/US military shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone in Texas.

agreed·jerusalem-postBusiness Insiderstraits-times

The Story

Analyzing sources…

Source Diversity

Moderate (46/100)

3 sources25/33

Spectrum spread— 2/5 buckets covered8/33

Far L

Left1

Left (1)

Business Insider

Center

Right2

Right (2)

jerusalem-poststraits-times

Far R

Geographic diversity— 3 regions13/34

Israel1US1Singapore1

Sources

Showing 3 of 3 sources

Business InsiderMostly Factual163d ago

A second airspace mix-up is unfolding over Texas as lawmakers say the US military shot down a Border Protection drone

Three lawmakers said the Customs and Border Protection drone was shot down by a "high risk" counter-drone system. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Three Democratic lawmakers say the US military shot down a Border Protection Drone on Thursday. They said it was a "high-risk" counter-drone system, which often refers to anti-drone lasers. The FAA expanded an airspace closure in the area, but said commercial flights wouldn't be affected. The US military shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone ove...

Read full article →

straits-timesMostly Factual163d ago