Connect with us

Southwest

FAA restricts Texas airspace after Pentagon reportedly strikes down Customs and Border Protection drone

Published

on

FAA restricts Texas airspace after Pentagon reportedly strikes down Customs and Border Protection drone

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restricted flights Thursday near Fort Hancock, Texas, after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone was reportedly shot down by a laser sytem operated by the Pentagon.

While government agencies have not identified who the drone belonged to, top Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a joint statement Thursday evening claiming the drone belonged to CBP.

U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson and Andre Carson said their “heads are exploding over the news” that a CBP drone was shot down by the Pentagon with “a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.”

The legislators added that this incident is “the result of [the White House’s] incompetence” after a “short-sighted” decision to “sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA.”

Advertisement

The FAA expanded a temporary flight restriction near Fort Hancock, Texas, after lawmakers said a Pentagon-operated counter-drone system may have shot down a U.S. government drone. (iStock)

In a joint statement provided to Fox News Digital, the Department of War, CBP and the FAA said the DOW used counter-unmanned aircraft system to respond to a “seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.”

The departments said the engagement took place “far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity,” adding they “will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.”

The departments said they are “working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border.”

“The bottom line is the Trump Administration is doing more to secure the border and crack down on cartels than any administration in history,” the statement added.

Advertisement

FBI RAMPS UP COUNTER-DRONE EFFORTS AS PATEL WARNS OF GROWING THREATS FROM CRIMINALS, TERRORISTS

Congressional aides told Reuters that the Pentagon reportedly used the high-energy laser system to accidentally shoot down the CBP drone near the Mexican border, an area that frequently sees incursions from drones believed to be operated by Mexican drug cartels.

The FAA told Fox News Digital that a temporary flight restriction (TFR) was “already in place” around the Fort Hancock area and that the TFR “has been expanded to include a greater radius to ensure safety.” 

The restriction does not impact commercial flights, the agency said.

The FAA said in a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) that airspace around Fort Hancock was temporarily restricted for “special security reasons.”

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The restriction comes a couple of weeks after the FAA grounded flights to and from El Paso International Airport for 10 days before lifting the order roughly eight hours later.

Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels breached American airspace earlier this month near El Paso International Airport in Texas, leading the FAA to temporarily close the airport. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

A Trump administration official previously told Fox News that the initial lockdown came in response to “Mexican cartel drones” that breached U.S. airspace.

A U.S. official later confirmed that the U.S. military had shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso.

Advertisement

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment and was directed to the joint statement provided by the Department of War, Customs and Border Patrol and Federal Aviation Administration.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related Article

Republicans raise alarm over US vulnerability to mass drone strikes after Israel-Iran conflict

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement

Los Angeles, Ca

Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people

Published

on

Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people

Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.

According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.

Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.

“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.

Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.

Advertisement

Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.

“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.

Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.

One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.

Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.

Advertisement

“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.

  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash
  • Santa Clarita city bus crash

Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.

“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”

The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.

All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

Advertisement

The crash remains under investigation.

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests 

Published

on

Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests 

Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.  

According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.  

The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.

The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.

Police investigate a reported burglary in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue in the Valley Village neighborhood on May 12, 2026. (KTLA)

The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.

Advertisement

The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”

“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”

That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins

Published

on

Detectives investigating if La Cañada burglary is connected to string of recent break-ins

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary, which happened on the 1200 block of El Vago Drive in La Cañada Flintridge on May 2.

The burglary happened around 7:20 p.m. Detectives are actively investigating if the burglary is connected to a string of other recent burglaries in L.A. County.

A woman who lives in the area contacted KTLA about the burglary after she noticed that security camera footage of the suspects matched the suspects seen in a different burglary in Studio City. During the Studio City burglary, the suspects attacked a Good Samaritan with bear spray.

A victim was attacked by a burglar using bear spray after he confronted the two suspects burglarizing a Studio City home on May 8, 2028. (Steve Calabro)

LASD Capt. Ryan Vienna called the rash of burglaries in the region “unacceptable.” LASD has deployed additional deputies to the La Cañada Flintridge area in response to the burglary.

“I ask all members of the community to promptly report suspicious activity or crimes in progress, as well as cooperate with our investigators so we may apprehend those who would or have caused harm,” Vienna said.

Advertisement

No other details have been revealed in the case as it remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact LASD at (818) 236-4015.

Burglaries are an ongoing problem across Southern California in recent months. On May 5, four men were arrested for stealing more than $100,000 in valuables form a Thousand Oaks home, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

LASD provided following burglary prevention tips:

  • Lock all doors and windows, even when home
  • Keep exterior lights on during nighttime hours
  • Utilize alarm systems and surveillance cameras if available
  • Avoid leaving valuables visible from outside the home
  • Collect mail and packages promptly
  • Report suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood immediately
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending