High-Energy Laser Used To Shoot Down The Party Balloon At The Border Was Reportedly Used By CBP With Pentagon Approval

The high-energy laser used to shoot down a party balloon at the southern border was used by Customs and Border Protection with the approval of the Pentagon, according to a new report.

The Associated Press noted that the weapon was deployed without coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), leading the agency to shut down the airspace above El Paso and parts of New Mexico.

Other people familiar with the incident told the outlet that the technology was used even though there was a meeting scheduled between the Pentagon and the FAA to discuss the issue later this month.

The order lasted two hours and ended with seven departures and seven arrivals being cancelled. Some medical evacuations also had to be rerouted..

Fox News reported on Wednesday that the Pentagon has been testing new counter-drone technology near the Army base at Fort Bliss, including the high-energy laser.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government didn't have any information indicating drone activity along its side of the border. "If the FAA or any U.S. government agency has relevant information, they can ask directly the Government of Mexico," she said.

The order warned pilots, saying they could be "intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel" if they didn't comply. It also said the government could use "deadly force" if it "determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat."

The order didn't have any recent precedent. Robert Moore, founder and CEO of El Paso Matters, told CNN "we've never since anything like this here at least since 9/11, when everything was grounded." The outlet also cited an air-traffic controller who could be heard telling flight crews that "not even medevac are allowed to fly."

Both the U.S. and the Mexican government, however, have been warning about an increased use of drones by criminal organizations. As a result, the U.S. and Mexico said they would step up cooperation to deal with the matter.