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Is there any reputable source for this claim? Apologies if I missed it but didn't see one linked in the article. I ask because it's not what I'd read or under

Is there any reputable source for this claim? Apologies if I missed it but didn't see one linked in the article. I ask because it's not what I'd read or understood yesterday.

milesskorpen 8mo ago
Yes: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-over-drone-related-tests-and-party-balloon-shoot-down-sources-say/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-... FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Tuesday night decided to close the airspace — without alerting White House, Pentagon or Homeland Security officials, sources said. ... Customs and Border Protection used the laser weapon earlier this week after training from the U.S. military, according to multiple sources familiar with its deployment. Officials had recently given the FAA a 10-day window in which the technology would be used. The anti-drone technology was launched near the southern border to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones. The flying material turned out to be a party balloon, sources said. One balloon was shot down, several sources said. The Mexican cartels have been running drones on the border lately, the sources said, but it was unclear how many were hit by the military's anti-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) technology this week. One official said at least one cartel drone was successfully disabled.
- silisili 8mo ago
  Thanks!
- Telemakhos 8mo ago
  Reuters has a slightly different take on this: > Three U.S. military officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been using the technology without issues before Tuesday's shutdown and expressed confusion as to why the shutdown was deemed necessary. [0] It was definitely the army [1] who fired the laser causing the shutdown of El Paso airport, but the army doesn't seem to understand the alarm on the part of the FAA, because DHS (Border Protection) has been using it for some time now without the same alarm from the FAA. Someone at the FAA reacted differently to this army firing than they had to previous DHS firings. [0] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senator-says-el-paso-airport-shutdown-shows-real-problem-coordination-between-2026-02-12/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senator-says-el-paso-airpor... [1] https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aerovironments-locust-counter-drone-laser-used-by-us-army-near-el-paso-airport-2026-02-12/ https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aeroviron...
stefan_ 8mo ago
What you read yesterday was most likely a deliberate lie to cover up dysfunctional federal government agencies: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-over-drone-related-tests-and-party-balloon-shoot-down-sources-say/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-...
gunapologist99 8mo ago
All of the "reputable" sources appear to be relying on "highly placed" anonymous sources, and many of the articles conflict with each other. Could have been little green men! But what exactly happened is probably (or should be) classified.
KyleBerezin 8mo ago
No. Only unnamed sources. I would say it is more likely a balloon than not though. Both stories are perfectly believable, a mylar balloon is def going to show up on radar, and the cartel does use drones. I think the balloon story is more believable though because the cartels would gain almost nothing from this, and if it was a drone I would expect photos of the debris by now.
hippo22 8mo ago
I think this should be higher. It’s a sad day when HN joins the fake news cesspool.

Is there any reputable source for this claim? Apologies if I missed it but didn't see one linked in the article. I ask because it's not what I'd read or understood yesterday.

milesskorpen 8mo ago

Yes: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-over-drone-related-tests-and-party-balloon-shoot-down-sources-say/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-... FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Tuesday night decided to close the airspace — without alerting White House, Pentagon or Homeland Security officials, sources said. ... Customs and Border Protection used the laser weapon earlier this week after training from the U.S. military, according to multiple sources familiar with its deployment. Officials had recently given the FAA a 10-day window in which the technology would be used. The anti-drone technology was launched near the southern border to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones. The flying material turned out to be a party balloon, sources said. One balloon was shot down, several sources said. The Mexican cartels have been running drones on the border lately, the sources said, but it was unclear how many were hit by the military's anti-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) technology this week. One official said at least one cartel drone was successfully disabled.

silisili 8mo ago
Thanks!
Telemakhos 8mo ago
Reuters has a slightly different take on this: > Three U.S. military officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been using the technology without issues before Tuesday's shutdown and expressed confusion as to why the shutdown was deemed necessary. [0] It was definitely the army [1] who fired the laser causing the shutdown of El Paso airport, but the army doesn't seem to understand the alarm on the part of the FAA, because DHS (Border Protection) has been using it for some time now without the same alarm from the FAA. Someone at the FAA reacted differently to this army firing than they had to previous DHS firings. [0] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senator-says-el-paso-airport-shutdown-shows-real-problem-coordination-between-2026-02-12/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senator-says-el-paso-airpor... [1] https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aerovironments-locust-counter-drone-laser-used-by-us-army-near-el-paso-airport-2026-02-12/ https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aeroviron...

stefan_ 8mo ago

What you read yesterday was most likely a deliberate lie to cover up dysfunctional federal government agencies: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-over-drone-related-tests-and-party-balloon-shoot-down-sources-say/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airspace-closure-followed-spat-...

gunapologist99 8mo ago

All of the "reputable" sources appear to be relying on "highly placed" anonymous sources, and many of the articles conflict with each other. Could have been little green men! But what exactly happened is probably (or should be) classified.

KyleBerezin 8mo ago

No. Only unnamed sources. I would say it is more likely a balloon than not though. Both stories are perfectly believable, a mylar balloon is def going to show up on radar, and the cartel does use drones. I think the balloon story is more believable though because the cartels would gain almost nothing from this, and if it was a drone I would expect photos of the debris by now.

hippo22 8mo ago

I think this should be higher. It’s a sad day when HN joins the fake news cesspool.