CBP fires laser at balloons
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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.
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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
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…🙄
what I most appreciate about this update: when I first heard of this story I *do* recall thinking "no this isn't dumb enough"
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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
what I most appreciate about this update: when I first heard of this story I *do* recall thinking "no this isn't dumb enough"
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bsky.app/profile/tyle...
Reposted by Steve Peers
"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
"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.
by Amir Attaran
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
I was wrong to badmouth the Jewish Space Laser. It’s better than the Trump version which takes out party balloons.
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
Feeling better and better about flying with the current regime in charge. www.washingtonpost.com/transportati...
Reposted by Michael Zimmer
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...
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
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...
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...
by Julie Novkov
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
I know there is a lot going on, but we deserve a full explanation of this episode.
Reposted by Christina Pagel
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]
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
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]
TAT: [Controlling Information]