by Donald Wood
Last updated: 7:45 AM ET, Thu February 12, 2026
Update: February 12, 2026, at 7:55 a.m. ET
The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas,
earlier this week was reportedly caused by an interagency disagreement over the
use of a “counterdrone laser system.”
According to ABCNews.com,
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed to allow Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to
use the laser weapon, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wasn’t told
of the decision and reacted by shutting down the airspace around El Paso.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reportedly used
the laser system to shoot down an object in the vicinity of Fort Bliss in the
days leading up to the airspace being shut down. FAA officials were concerned about
the weapon's safety and its effects on civilian aircraft.
A meeting is reportedly planned between FAA and Pentagon
officials regarding the incident.
While none of the agencies involved in the temporary airspace
shutdown spoke on the record, a Trump administration official said that "Mexican
cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to
disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to
commercial travel.”
Update: February 11, 2026, at 11:20 a.m. ET
After a full ground stop, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) announced that flights into and out of El Paso
International Airport in Texas were once again allowed to operate after a “cartel
drone incursion.”
According to The
Associated Press, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that FAA
officials and the United States 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.”
Officials said all flights have resumed and there is “no
threat to commercial aviation.”
Original Text
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday
that all flight operations over El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico,
would be halted for the next 10 days as part of temporary flight restrictions.
According to ABCNews.com,
the temporary flight restrictions would begin on Wednesday and apply to all
areas within a 10 nautical mile radius of El Paso Airport, including from the
ground up to 17,999 feet.
The prohibited flights will remain in effect until February
21 and were implemented due to “special security reasons,” according to the
notice filed by the FAA.
During the 10-day period, the airspace has been redefined as
“national defense airspace.”
ABC News received a comment from El Paso Airport authorities
on the matter:
“The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight
restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring
community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations
(including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from
February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Airport staff
has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance.”
Airlines serving the Texas airport have been notified, and
travelers scheduled to fly from the property during the impacted time are being
encouraged to check with their carrier about rebooking or refunds.
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