The US Department of Defense took action to disable drones that it said were part of an incursion over El Paso, Texas, which sits on the border with Mexico, and has lifted its order to shut down the area's airspace for 10 days. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday night suddenly ordered flights in and out of the El Paso International Airport to be halted until 20 February, causing shock and confusion among local residents and elected leaders. The agency said on Wednesday morning restrictions had been lifted and flights could resume.
City Council member Chris Canales, who represents an area on the southwestern side of El Paso, told BBC that local authorities did not receive any advance notice or reason for the closure. El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson confirmed that they were not notified, during a news conference on Wednesday after the airspace had been reopened. We woke up, just like many of you, at midnight last night, one in the morning, to the text and the calls that we received that our airspace was shut down, he said. Our community was scared. You just cannot do that.
Medical evacuation flights were diverted because of the closure, he said. Another flight that was carrying surgical equipment did not show up here in El Paso. Renard said he was still waiting to hear from the FAA about the official reason why the airspace was shut down.
Long-term airspace closures are rare. The restriction covered a 10-mile radius around El Paso, including parts of southern New Mexico, west of the town San Teresa. After the initial closure, El Paso International Airport said in a statement it was told on short notice to halt all flights and contacted the FAA for more information. The notice was published without any advance notice to local governments or to local air traffic controllers, Canales said. The cancellations were so abrupt that people reported being told by airlines that their flights were still scheduled, even after the FAA's announcement. Some on social media speculated about broader conspiracy theories and wondered if the US was on the brink of war.
It is significant that the US shut down a major airport, Mick Mulroy, a former US Marine, CIA paramilitary officer and deputy assistant secretary of defense told the BBC. If the purpose was for counter-drone activity related to cartel drones, it makes sense as the primary means to do so is through electronic warfare (EW). He added that drones in the area are generally used for surveillance rather than offensive measures. Drones have become a prevalent tool for cartels in human smuggling operations, monitoring the positions of Border Patrol agents to assist migrant crossings.
Drone activity in the area is extremely regular, and it remains unclear why the reported incursion prompted such a significant response from authorities.}
City Council member Chris Canales, who represents an area on the southwestern side of El Paso, told BBC that local authorities did not receive any advance notice or reason for the closure. El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson confirmed that they were not notified, during a news conference on Wednesday after the airspace had been reopened. We woke up, just like many of you, at midnight last night, one in the morning, to the text and the calls that we received that our airspace was shut down, he said. Our community was scared. You just cannot do that.
Medical evacuation flights were diverted because of the closure, he said. Another flight that was carrying surgical equipment did not show up here in El Paso. Renard said he was still waiting to hear from the FAA about the official reason why the airspace was shut down.
Long-term airspace closures are rare. The restriction covered a 10-mile radius around El Paso, including parts of southern New Mexico, west of the town San Teresa. After the initial closure, El Paso International Airport said in a statement it was told on short notice to halt all flights and contacted the FAA for more information. The notice was published without any advance notice to local governments or to local air traffic controllers, Canales said. The cancellations were so abrupt that people reported being told by airlines that their flights were still scheduled, even after the FAA's announcement. Some on social media speculated about broader conspiracy theories and wondered if the US was on the brink of war.
It is significant that the US shut down a major airport, Mick Mulroy, a former US Marine, CIA paramilitary officer and deputy assistant secretary of defense told the BBC. If the purpose was for counter-drone activity related to cartel drones, it makes sense as the primary means to do so is through electronic warfare (EW). He added that drones in the area are generally used for surveillance rather than offensive measures. Drones have become a prevalent tool for cartels in human smuggling operations, monitoring the positions of Border Patrol agents to assist migrant crossings.
Drone activity in the area is extremely regular, and it remains unclear why the reported incursion prompted such a significant response from authorities.}
