Cartel-Operated Drones Enter U.S. Airspace, Prompting Temporary Texas Airport Closure

A Trump administration official confirmed that drones operated by Mexican cartels crossed into U.S. airspace, leading to a brief shutdown of El Paso International Airport before authorities declared no threat to commercial aviation.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Multiple drones operated by Mexican cartels breached United States airspace on Feb. 11, according to a Trump administration official, prompting federal authorities to temporarily halt flights at a major Texas airport.

“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace,” the official told The Epoch Times.

According to the official, the Department of War disabled the drones. After assessing the situation, the department and the Federal Aviation Administration determined there was no ongoing threat to commercial air travel.

Earlier Wednesday, the FAA halted all flights to and from El Paso International Airport without publicly specifying the reason. At 8:54 a.m. ET, the agency issued a statement lifting the temporary closure and confirming that flights would resume normal operations.

El Paso, located in western Texas along the U.S.–Mexico border, has a population of approximately 875,000. The airport regularly receives flights from Mexico.

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), who represents El Paso in the House of Representatives, stated that local officials were not given advance notice of the temporary closure of the airport and surrounding airspace.

“The FAA is rightfully lifting the Temporary Restricted Airspace,” Escobar wrote following the reopening announcement. “I will again reiterate there is no threat to El Paso or the surrounding areas.”

The FAA had previously issued a January advisory warning operators to exercise caution when flying over portions of Mexico, Central America and South America due to “military activities” and potential signal interference. That advisory was later lifted.

Federal authorities have not released additional operational details regarding the drone incursion or the method used to disable the devices. The incident remains under review.