The airspace over El Paso has been closed after a Mexican cartel drone entered the US airspace. The Department of Defense has taken action to disable the drone.
WASHINGTON: A Trump administration official has revealed that Mexican drug cartel drones entered US airspace, prompting a temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a national security matter, the official said the Defense Department took action to disable the drones.
How many drones were involved?
According to the official, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense jointly assessed that there was no threat to commercial flights or passenger aircraft. However, the official did not provide details on how many drones were involved or the exact steps taken to disable them.
There is a threat to border security
The incident occurred in the airspace surrounding El Paso International Airport, where the FAA had initially announced a 10-day flight halt, but it was soon lifted and normal flights resumed. This incident is further evidence of the growing threat posed by drone use by border security and drug cartels.
BREAKING: A Trump administration official said the El Paso airspace closure was tied to Mexican cartel drones, but the Defense Department disabled the drones. https://t.co/nBMqbQKFEI
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 11, 2026
Learn about the city of El Paso
El Paso is a border city with a population of about 700,000. The surrounding metro area is even larger. It is a hub of cross-border commerce, along with the neighboring Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez. Mexican cartels have long used drones to traffic drugs, control migrant border crossings, and wage war against rival cartels and authorities. Mexico first issued an international alert about the use of remote-controlled aircraft in 2010, and the practice has only grown.
Flights had to be diverted
El Paso Mayor Raynard Johnson said at a press conference that the airspace closure forced medical evacuation flights, including emergency flights, to be diverted to Las Cruces, the first time this has happened since 9/11. Las Cruces is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) from El Paso.
