• The FAA briefly closed airspace over El Paso, Texas, for 10 days due to alleged drone incursions by Mexican cartels.
• Authorities lifted the ban less than 8 hours later, citing no imminent threat to aviation.
• Conflicting reports emerged about the closure, raising questions about military operations and coordination with aviation authorities.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed swift actions to neutralize a threat, while local officials expressed confusion.
• The Mexican government denied knowledge of any drone incursions, requesting further information from the U.S.

Authorities initially closed the El Paso International Airport airspace on February 10 late at night for a stated period of ten days, but the restriction was lifted within hours, creating widespread confusion about the reasons. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited “special security reasons,” but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated the action was a response to incursions by Mexican drug cartel drones, which the military purportedly neutralized, leading to no danger to commercial travel in the region, according to Vox, CBS News, and Al Jazeera.

The abrupt ban on flights included emergency medical evacuations, which impacted local healthcare options. Local officials, including Rep. Veronica Escobar and El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson, criticized the FAA for not coordinating the closure adequately with local authorities, claiming it resulted in “chaos and confusion” in both community and operational levels, citing inadequate communication as a critical failure, according to India Times and NPR.

Reports suggested that the closure may have stemmed from the Pentagon’s use of a high-energy laser technology for counter-drone initiatives, which raised concerns about potential hazards to civilian aircraft near the airport. Multiple sources indicate that the miscommunication between FAA and military could have triggered the airspace lockdown. It was noted that military operations might have included testing against cartel-related drones, which have been crossing the border regularly but often without significant risk associated, as pointed out by experts, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Vox.

Additionally, Mexican authorities, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, denied any knowledge of the drone incursions that led to the U.S. military's actions, emphasizing that no credible reports had been received about such breaches and suggesting that any assertion of a drone threat could warrant a formal inquiry, as reiterated by multiple news outlets including Al Jazeera and CBS News.