EL PASO, Texas — After a night of unprecedented chaos that saw a major American city’s airspace shuttered for the first time since 9/11, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reopened the skies over El Paso.
The U.S. government rescinded a jarring 10-day flight restriction on Wednesday morning, just hours after it was issued. The Trump administration attributed the emergency closure to a “coordinated incursion” of drones operated by Mexican drug cartels, claiming the Department of Defense (DoD) was forced to intervene with electronic warfare and potentially experimental weaponry to “neutralize” the threat.
“The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X.
The Midnight Ground Stop
The crisis began late Tuesday night when the FAA issued a “Special Security Reasons” notice, effectively grounding all commercial, cargo, and general aviation at El Paso International Airport (ELP). The restriction also covered parts of southern New Mexico near Santa Teresa.
The abruptness of the order—which was issued without warning to local officials, hospital emergency flight coordinators, or airlines—triggered what El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson described as “complete chaos.” Medical evacuation flights were forced to divert 40 miles away to Las Cruces, and surgical equipment destined for city hospitals was stranded on grounded planes.
The Fallout on the Ground:
- Grounded Fleet: Major carriers including Southwest, United, and American were forced to pause all operations, affecting thousands of travelers.
- Economic Hubris: As a critical gateway for cross-border commerce with Ciudad Juárez, the closure threatened to paralyze billions in trade.
- Medical Risks: Emergency medevac diversions raised serious concerns about patient safety in the region’s specialized trauma centers.
Lasers, Drones, and the ‘Department of War’
While Secretary Duffy’s public statement focused on the cartel threat, a more complex story of inter-agency friction began to emerge Wednesday afternoon. Sources familiar with the situation indicated the closure was actually sparked by a dispute between the FAA and the Pentagon.
The Pentagon reportedly intended to test a high-powered anti-drone laser to intercept cartel surveillance craft. Fearing the laser’s impact on civilian avionics and pilot vision, the FAA insisted on a total airspace clearing. When the DoD moved forward regardless, the FAA issued the sweeping 10-day ban as a safety precaution before the agencies reached a compromise just hours later.
Secretary Duffy later referred to the “Department of War” (DOW) in a post, a nod to the administration’s recent internal rhetoric regarding the militarization of the border.
Political Crossfire
The “cartel drone” explanation has already met fierce skepticism from local leaders. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso) contested the administration’s narrative, stating that the information provided to Congress “does not add up” and suggested the community was used as a testing ground for a political show of force.
Conversely, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) called drone incursions a “daily reality” for border residents. “For any of us who live and work here, this is just a Wednesday,” Gonzales said, though he admitted the scale of this particular airspace closure was unprecedented.
The Aftermath
By Wednesday afternoon, El Paso International Airport reported that flights had resumed, though delays continued to ripple through the system. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated she had “no information” regarding the use of drones by cartels in the area, calling for better coordination and transparency from Washington.
As the grey hum of commercial jets returned to the West Texas sky, the “neutralized” drones—and the technology used to bring them down—remain shrouded in secrecy. What is clear is that the border has become a literal “no-fly zone,” where the line between domestic safety and military experimentation is increasingly blurred.