A dramatic and mysterious announcement of a 10-day shutdown of airspace over El Paso, Texas, is now raising deeper questions about what really happened after the order was quickly reversed.
As reported on Thursday’s AM Update, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Tuesday night blocking flights in the airspace over El Paso and nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, from Wednesday through February 21 citing “temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons.”
The sweeping ground stop immediately disrupted commercial air traffic, rerouted medical evacuation flights, and raised alarm among the public. El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson described the move as “a major and unnecessary disruption” that “has not occurred since 9/11.”
But within hours of issuing the 10-day ground stop, the FAA suddenly lifted the order.
Conflicting Reports
CBS News reported the closure stemmed from a spat between the FAA and the Department of War over drone-related testing. The Pentagon had reportedly planned tests of anti-drone military technology – including a high-energy laser – near Fort Bliss, which is located next to to El Paso International Airport.
According to CBS News, safety coordination meetings with the FAA were still pending, but the Pentagon felt ready to proceed with the testing prior to scheduled meetings. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford then abruptly closed the airspace without first notifying the White House, Pentagon, or Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed the finger at the drug cartels. “The FAA and Department of War acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” he wrote on X. “The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming.”
CBS News, however, reported at least one object initially believed to be a foreign drone during recent operations turned out to be a party balloon.
Lingering Questions
Amid the conflicting explanations, questions have mounted about whether this was a real security emergency, a breakdown in coordination, or something else entirely.
Former Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf told AM Update that cartel drone activity along the border is real and extensive:
“There is a significant amount of cartel activity when it comes to the use of drones. I mean, thousands and thousands of recorded incursions and others. Usually, an incursion of the U.S. is just very, very briefly because most of their operations are on the Mexican side. Or if they are dropping contraband, they will drop it over the border and then the drone will retreat very, very quickly. This doesn’t appear to be the same case, so we’ll see what more information comes out. But the use of drones by cartels and the limited amount of counter drone authority that the… Department of Homeland Security has, as well, is kind of an ongoing battle.”
Despite that threat, Wolf acknowledged cartel drone activity rarely shuts down airspace, especially at a major airport:
“Historically, you do not see airspace closures because of drone activity. And so usually, if it is, it’s because the Department of War is interdicting or there’s a significant amount of drones that are coming fairly close to commercial aircraft landing or takeoff pass at a commercial airport… and it’s in this prolonged incursion of some kind. Normally where you see a lot of these incursions is along the border, not in urban areas. Or if they are in urban areas, they’re in small urban areas. And unlike El Paso, there are other airports in Del Rio, and Brownsville, and Laredo that are fairly close to the border.”
Wolf explained the FAA is often cautious, but he has major questions about the initial 10-day shutdown:
“If there’s any type of threat to commercial aviation, they’re going to close that airspace… and then they’re going to figure out what’s going on, and then try to open it back up… The 10-day closure that FAA originally put out is highly unusual… Wherever the president is at right, for instance, or when there’s a Super Bowl, or when there’s a big event, but those are limited duration, in most cases, maybe a couple of days. So, to close airspace for 10 days, I think you would think that something very, very significant is happening in real time. And then, of course, the FAA pulls it back and says, ‘Okay, it’s canceled’… I think… they probably do need to answer some questions to say: ‘Well, why did you jump to 10 days right away? And what was the coordination with the Department of War? And was it exactly what happened?”
And while some have speculated about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), Wolf dismissed that as unlikely:
“I suppose it’s possible. But I think what’s more logical is that they’re either responding to drone incursions by the cartels, which we know they use… drones very liberally, or the fact that the Department of War was testing some type of technology… I think that’s more plausible given the location.”
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