UPDATE: White House Releases Statement On Airspace Closure In El Paso

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The White House has explained why the airspace over El Paso, Texas, was temporarily closed.

On Wednesday morning, the FAA announced that a 10-mile radius airspace in El Paso was being closed for 10 days.

Shortly after the announcement, the FAA reversed its decision and reopened the airspace.

Now the White House has announced the closure was due to a Mexican drone cartel operating in the El Paso airspace.

The Associated Press had the latest update on the lifted closure of El Paso airspace:

The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday morning, just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that would have grounded all flights to and from the airport.

The FAA said in a social media post that it has lifted the temporary closure of the airspace over El Paso, saying there was no threat to commercial aviation and that all flights will resume.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X that the FAA and the Defense Department “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” He said normal flights are resuming.

Here’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s full statement on the drones:

USA Today reported more on the Pentagon disabling the drones:

The airspace over El Paso’s international airport was briefly closed on Feb. 11 after the Pentagon disabled drones controlled by Mexican cartels that breached U.S. airspace, according to an administration official.

The military took action to disable the drones, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X.

“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.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch military strikes on cartel-linked land targets in Mexico.



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