On Feb. 26, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) flew a drone into military airspace near Fort Hancock, Texas, as part of its claimed crackdown on Mexican drug cartels. As a result, the U.S. military used a high-energy laser to shoot down the drone, according to NBC. Members of Congress, specifically Democrats, are calling the two incidents evidence of incompetence.
Earlier in February, the CBP shot down party balloons near Fort Bliss in Texas, resulting in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to shut down the air traffic at El Paso Airport on Feb. 11. The incident caused 14 flight cancellations, according to the El Paso Times. When the CBP shot down the party balloons, they did so without coordinating with the FAA.
The party balloons incident sparked immense concern. As Charles Marino, ex-advisor to former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, said, “[it is] weird that the FAA would be the first stop regarding an imminent threat.” Marino reported that the FAA is not typically the one to receive a threat.
The most recent incident, however, should also raise concern. The use of high-tech laser military technology without proper coordination could be dangerous. For example, what if the military mistook a civilian airplane for a drone? Without proper communication, the plane would have been struck down, risking civilian death and injury. The military struck down the CBP’s drone, showing that defense lasers were used against another agency in its own country. This is embarrassing, to say the least. But it also could have become a more serious situation. If the military thought the drone belonged to a cartel, the mistake would further fuel tensions between the United States and the cartels that already exist. Internal tensions and miscommunication are showing the weakness of unity within the executive branch.
As the CBP, FAA and military all operate under the executive branch, the increasing tension and butting heads due to lack of communication reflects further division and weakness within the federal government. As it is, there is already enough tension split between the three branches: judicial, executive and legislative. The legislative branch already experiences its own turmoil, making the executive branch’s struggles to communicate basic details more worrisome.
Overall, these incidents cannot be seen as minor miscommunications. The lack of communication and stark division between agencies should raise alarm. The government must work to ensure that these kinds of incidents do not occur again, as the consequences are immense. The lack of unity between agencies could mimic the disaster that took place last January when an airplane and an Army helicopter collided near Washington DC, highlighting the lack of communication between the FAA and the Pentagon. The incidents last month will further fuel mistrust not only between agencies but also between the American people and their government.
