Trump administration briefly closes El Paso airspace, blames Mexican cartel drone incursion

El Paso Airport Reopens After Brief Closure Due to Reported Cartel Drone Incursion

Operations at El Paso International Airport resumed Wednesday morning after an unexpected shutdown that officials attributed to a Mexican cartel drone incursion. The closure, which had initially been announced as a 10-day restriction, was lifted within hours, prompting questions from local officials and lawmakers about the incident’s handling.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on social media platform X that the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” adding that “the threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” However, Duffy provided no details regarding how many drones were involved or what measures were taken to neutralize the threat.

The abrupt shutdown had threatened significant disruptions for the El Paso metropolitan area, a major hub of cross-border commerce alongside the neighboring Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez. The airport serves nearly 700,000 residents in El Paso and millions more in the broader region spanning west Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico.

Local news outlets reported scenes of stranded travelers lining up at airline ticket counters and rental car desks during the brief closure. By Wednesday morning, the airport announced the resumption of operations and advised travelers to contact airlines directly for updated flight information.

The incident highlights growing concerns about cartel drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border. In July, Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security’s counter-drone program, testified before lawmakers that cartels use drones “nearly every day” to transport drugs across the border and monitor Border Patrol agents. According to his testimony, more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters of the southern border during the last six months of 2023, with most flying late at night.

DHS officials report seizing thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other narcotics in recent years that cartels attempted to transport across the border using unmanned aerial vehicles.

The shutdown has prompted diplomatic activity, with Mexican defense and navy officials scheduled to meet with U.S. Northern Command representatives in Washington on Wednesday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated during a news conference that her government would investigate “the exact causes” of the closure, noting she had “no information about the use of drones on the border.”

Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat representing El Paso, expressed frustration over the handling of the situation. “I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly and was lifted so suddenly and abruptly,” she said during a Wednesday news conference.

Escobar further questioned the official explanation, stating that “the information coming from the federal government does not add up.” She later suggested the shutdown was not based on Mexican cartel drones in U.S. airspace, saying that “is not what we in Congress have been told.” Pentagon officials declined to comment on Escobar’s remarks.

A similar 10-day temporary flight restriction remained in place Wednesday around Santa Teresa, New Mexico, approximately 15 miles northwest of El Paso Airport. FAA officials have not explained why this restriction remained active while the El Paso closure was lifted.

U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico joined in demanding clarity from federal authorities. “Keeping our communities informed and safe is critical. I’m demanding answers from the FAA and the administration about why the airspace was closed in the first place without notifying appropriate officials, leaving travelers to deal with unnecessary chaos,” Lujan said in a statement.

The incident underscores the complex security challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border, where cartel activities increasingly incorporate advanced technologies. It also highlights tensions between federal security operations and the need for transparency with local officials and the traveling public during security incidents.