On Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a NOTAM that imposed a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over El Paso, Texas, and nearby southern New Mexico, including El Paso International Airport and Doña Ana County International Jetport in Santa Teresa, N.M. It cited "special security reasons," and it banned all types of flights, including, in some cases, medevacs, up to 18,000 feet for the next 10 days (until February 20).
Early Wednesday morning, the FAA suddenly announced that "the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted" and "there is no threat to commercial aviation," allowing all flights to resume as normal.
The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) February 11, 2026
So, what happened? The Donald Trump administration says that Mexican cartel drones breached the U.S. border.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X:
The FAA and [Department of War] acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming.
The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 11, 2026
The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.
The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming. https://t.co/xQA1cMy7l0
This sounds reasonable. El Paso sits right on the United States-Mexico border, and cartel drones are a rapidly growing threat. They're used to smuggle in drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, and they're used to scout areas, looking for law enforcement. They're also used in human trafficking coordination.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters of the border in the last six months of 2024.
But others aren't buying it, and by "others" I mean Democrats, Mexico's Narco-President Claudia Sheinbaum, and the MSM. Rep Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes El Paso, complained that she wasn't notified, and urged the FAA to reverse the decision, stating that she felt there was no threat to the community.
"The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community," she said. "From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas."
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Sheinbaum, during her morning press conference, stated that she had no information about any of this either but would like the U.S. to share it with her.
The Associated Press, however, claims it has the real scoop... from anonymous sources. It claims that the shutdown "stemmed from the Pentagon’s plans to test a laser to shoot down drones used by Mexican drug cartels" and that it "caused friction with the Federal Aviation Administration, which wanted to ensure commercial air safety, and the two agencies sought to coordinate."
It also claims that a meeting between the Department of War (DOW) and the FAA was scheduled for later in February, but the DOW was eager to test the laser, so the FAA responded with the shutdown. It goes on to explain that some people missed their Valentine's Day weekend flights.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who doesn't have the sense God gave a goose, piled on by saying it's "the lack of coordination that’s endemic in this Trump administration."
And then, yet another story came out, which has been published by various outlets, like CBS and Fox News, stating that what actually happened was that the military thought it was taking out a drone, but it turned out to be a mylar party balloon. This led to concerns from the FAA, and that's why the airspace was eventually closed. This was confirmed by, again, anonymous sources and has been mocked online by both sides of the political aisle.
So, which was it? Catel drones, a misidentified balloon, or a little spat between two government agencies — maybe some combination of all three? No one seems to know for sure. Given the players involved, I'm not one to blindly trust the federal government, but I am more inclined to trust Duffy over Duckworth and "anonymous sources."
Even if it was a lack of coordination or a balloon or whatever, ultimately, I think it tells me that both agencies are operating with the safety of the American people in mind, even if it caused some inconvenience and leaves room for improvement. After four years of no border security at all, it's better than nothing.
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