Advanced Pentagon laser weapon shot down party balloons instead of drone by mistake, says report — airport shut down after Customs and Border Protection mistakenly believed it was targeting Mexican cartel drones

Source: Tom’s Hardware

A frighteningly farcical series of events involving laser weaponry, the FAA, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Pentagon was recounted by three insiders to the Wall Street Journal. The advanced LOCUST laser weapon system was reportedly used to shoot down party balloons over the U.S.–Mexico border instead of the intended “cartel drones.”

Incident overview

Agents from CBP employed the Pentagon’s LOCUST laser weapon to target suspected cartel drones near the border. According to insiders, the FAA had warned CBP not to proceed, leading to a sudden airspace closure over the target area and the diversion and delay of numerous flights for safety. The WSJ reports that the aerial objects shot down “turned out to likely be party balloons,” based on debris‑analysis sources.

Image credit: AeroVironment (AV) Inc.

The WSJ frames the incident as evidence of longstanding communication problems among governmental, safety, and security agencies. FAA, DOD, DHS, and White House spokespersons have not responded to the WSJ’s requests for comment.

Agency responses

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D‑IL) urged better coordination between the FAA and the Pentagon, saying, “We could do something legislatively, but I’d rather that they just started talking to each other.” Duckworth serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. At the time of writing, Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Roger Wicker had not been briefed on the laser‑weapon incident.

Potential further investigation

Authorities may release more detailed investigative information to clarify the timeline and any recovered drone wreckage. However, if no drone debris is found, officials may remain quiet, as embarrassments of this nature are often swept under the rug.