FAA Shuts El Paso Airspace After Pentagon Permits CBP to Deploy Anti-Drone Laser

Late on Feb. 10 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an unusual notice ordering a temporary 10-day ground stop over El Paso International Airport for "special security reasons," grounding commercial, cargo and general aviation.

“Promotional notice offering tailored advertising options and inviting readers to click to connect with the sales team”

Air Cargo Week

Officials lifted the restriction less than eight hours later, saying there was no continuing threat to commercial aviation.

Air Cargo Week

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Pentagon officials described the closure as a response to a "cartel drone incursion" that had been "neutralized."

Airport officials and airlines scrambled to adjust flights and passengers.

Multiple outlets reported the Pentagon had authorized U.S. Customs and Border Protection or other federal units to deploy high-energy laser countermeasures near Fort Bliss as part of the response.

Accounts diverge on what triggered the shutdown and on exactly what federal forces did.

Several outlets reported the Defense Department or DHS units tested or used counter‑drone capabilities, including high‑energy lasers.

Al Jazeera

At least one federal source described the objects targeted as cartel drones, while other reports say some objects hit may have been non‑threatening, such as mylar balloons.

Bloomberg and multiple reporters indicated the Pentagon also flew drones as part of tests near civilian paths, and some U.S. officials told reporters the activity occurred without full FAA coordination.

The action drew immediate local and congressional pushback over coordination and safety.

“Southwest Airlines said it has notified affected customers and will provide more information as it becomes available, stressing that nothing is more important than the safety of its customers and employees”

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Lawmakers and city leaders said they were not alerted in advance.

Rep. Veronica Escobar said the federal account 'does not add up,' and El Paso's mayor described the shutdown as unnecessary and disruptive.

The order also carried unusually stark language for a local temporary flight restriction.

It warned that pilots could be detained or met with deadly force if judged an imminent threat.

The restriction disrupted flights, including medevac diversions.

Questions about attribution and accountability followed.

The administration publicly attributed the incident to Mexican drug-cartel drones.

BBC

Transportation Secretary Duffy and Pentagon accounts described the threat as neutralized.

Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, denied knowledge of drone use at the border and said Mexico would investigate.

Several lawmakers demanded more detailed briefings and evidence linking the objects to cartels.

At the same time, experts and multiple outlets noted that cross-border drone detections are common in the region, leaving unclear why this episode triggered an extraordinary local shutdown.

Several outlets placed the episode in a broader operational and interagency context, reporting that the FAA had scheduled discussions with the Defense Department for Feb. 20 and that the Army or Pentagon proceeded with activity before final FAA sign‑off; other reports noted the Department of Defense had recently made laser countermeasure systems available to Customs and Border Protection.

The incident prompted calls for greater transparency and clearer coordination protocols for any military or counter‑drone activity near civilian airspace.

CBC