US Edition
FAA Closes El Paso Airspace for 10 Days Citing ‘Special Security Reasons’
The Federal Aviation Administration closed El Paso airspace for seven hours due to Mexican cartel drones; the Defense Department disabled the drones, causing travel disruptions.
- Late Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a 10-day flight restriction over El Paso, Texas, then lifted it early Wednesday, stating no ongoing danger to commercial aviation.
- Administration officials said `Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace` and the Department of Defense acted, while other US officials cited Pentagon testing or FAA miscommunication.
- Travelers faced immediate disruption with grounded flights and diverted medical evacuations, causing 14 canceled flights and forcing medevac diversions about 45 miles to Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Local officials and Rep. Veronica Escobar demanded answers and said they were not notified, with Escobar stating, `The information coming from the administration does not add up`; Sen. Ted Cruz and others are gathering information amid coordination concerns.
- The White House presented the episode as proof of cartel threats, consistent with President Donald Trump's focus, while the Mexican government said it has no confirmation and will investigate.
275 Articles
275 Articles
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last Tuesday the closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, for 10 days, a sudden decision that surprised local authorities, disturbed travelers and alarmed many others. Restrictions were lifted less than eight hours later, but it remains unclear why authorities suddenly shut down a major regional airport for more than a week. Donald Trump government officials have said that drones from a Mexican…
The U.S. neutralizes a drone that attributes to a Mexican cartel that “violated the airspace” in the city of El Paso By: Darío Brooks-BBC News World U.S. authorities detected a drone from a Mexican drug cartel that “violated that country’s airspace” in the city of El Paso, bordering Mexico. The presence of the drone prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close the airspace since midnight Tuesday for “special security reasons” arou…
Thursday morning news: February 11, 2026
The news of the day, including head of agencies funded through DHS seek to avert another partial government shutdown, new jobs numbers paint a more positive picture, Israeli prime minister visits White House, and FAA temporarily closes airspace over Texas border city
Why did FAA shut down El Paso airspace? #politics
What triggered the airspace closure Federal aviation authorities ordered a temporary grounding of flights around El Paso after reports of unmanned aerial incursions tied to Mexican cartel activity. Officials said drones crossed into U.S. airspace and posed a national‑defense concern, ...
El Paso airport shutdown a ‘case study in miscommunication’
The Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement to shut down El Paso International Airport for 10 days due to an alleged cartel drone incursion from Mexico smacks of overkill, several local officials said.
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