By Micah Jonah
February 12, 2026
Air traffic in and out of El Paso, Texas, was abruptly halted this week after United States aviation authorities raised concerns over security risks linked to drone activity and a new military laser system.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially announced a 10-day closure of airspace around El Paso International Airport late on February 10, citing “special security reasons”. However, the restriction was lifted less than eight hours later, sparking confusion and criticism from local leaders.
What happened?
The FAA stopped all flights at about 11:30pm local time, placing restrictions on aircraft flying below 18,000 feet within a roughly 16-kilometre radius of the airport. The order was expected to remain in effect until February 20.
Pilots were warned that failure to comply could lead to interception by law enforcement, and authorities stated that deadly force could be used if an aircraft posed an imminent threat.
El Paso, one of the 25 most populous cities in the US with nearly 700,000 residents, has not seen such broad airspace restrictions since the nationwide shutdown following the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Why was the airspace closed?
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the move followed an incursion by Mexican drug cartel drones into US airspace, adding that “the threat has been neutralized”. Officials at the White House and Pentagon echoed that explanation.
However, multiple reports suggested the shutdown was linked to the Pentagon’s deployment of a new high-energy, laser-based counter-drone system near El Paso. Sources said the military had moved forward with testing before final approval from the FAA, prompting concerns that the system and accompanying drone flights could interfere with commercial aircraft.
A meeting between the Defense Department and the FAA had reportedly been scheduled for February 20 to address the issue.
Local backlash and confusion:
Representative Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, questioned the official explanation, saying the information provided by federal authorities “does not add up”.
El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson criticised the lack of coordination, calling the shutdown “unnecessary” and saying it caused chaos in the community.
“You cannot restrict airspace over a major city without coordinating with the city, the airport, the hospitals, the community leadership,” Johnson said.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum also denied claims that Mexican drones had entered US airspace.
How common are cartel drone incursions?
US officials have long warned that Mexican criminal groups use drones along the border for surveillance and drug smuggling. The Department of Homeland Security has reported thousands of drone detections near the southern border in recent months.
Security experts say drone incursions near airports or military sites are not unusual. However, they described the scale of the FAA’s response in El Paso as unprecedented.
Nearly 3.5 million passengers passed through El Paso International Airport between January and November 2025, underscoring the potential economic impact of a prolonged closure.
Broader concerns:
Drone technology has increasingly been used by criminal groups in Mexico, not only for surveillance but also in violent territorial disputes, including dropping explosives in rural areas.
While short-term disruptions due to unidentified drones are relatively common, experts say shutting down a large section of airspace for days is highly unusual and highlights the growing security challenges posed by unmanned aerial systems.
The brief closure in El Paso has now been lifted, but questions remain over coordination between US defense and aviation authorities and how similar incidents will be handled in the future.
