But something tells me that the Trump administration wasn\u2019t really concerned about protecting the homeland from litter. <\/p>\n
According to the New York Times<\/a>, the Defense Department lent the Border Patrol an anti-drone laser, without consulting with the FAA, which is responsible for the safe operation of American airspace.<\/p>\n The agencies were due to meet Feb. 20 to discuss use of the laser, and the FAA was planning to conduct a safety assessment of the technology, but the Border Patrol used it before the meeting could be held.<\/p>\n What threat was so dire that the Border Patrol just couldn\u2019t wait to use its new toy? Even if it were a drug-carrying drone, as authorities reportedly believed, who decided it was worth the risk to human life to shoot it down?<\/p>\n According to Texas officials, drones at the border are a common nuisance. Even if federal officials really did believe the balloon was a drone, what did they think made it so different from and so much more dangerous than other drones?<\/p>\n Maybe there are plausible answers to those questions \u2014 but we won\u2019t get them unless Congress insists. <\/p>\n You would think that maintaining public confidence in air safety would be a good enough reason to prompt lawmakers to get to the bottom of the El Paso incident. But if not, remember that what happened there could happen in lots of other congressional districts. Drones have been used to smuggle drugs across the Northern Border<\/a>, too. And balloons remain widely available.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from Are we there yet?<\/a>, a Globe Opinion newsletter about the future of transportation in the region. Sign up to get it in your inbox early<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/LP4RZOPOYY5TVFZSLR2DGOGRTE.jpg\")
A man carries flowers and national security threats in New York City last week.Andres Kudacki\/Associated Press<\/p>\n