On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily grounded all flights to and from El Paso International Airport following reports of drones operated by Mexican drug cartels entering U.S. airspace. This incursion prompted immediate action from the Department of Defense, according to White House officials, who provided details to several news outlets.
The FAA cited “special security concerns” as the reason for the sudden halt of air traffic over El Paso. Initially, the grounding was set to last ten days, but it was quickly lifted when authorities determined that the threat had been neutralized.
“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted,” the FAA announced on social media platform X. “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”
Ali Bradley, a correspondent for News Nation, reported that the airspace closure was triggered by the incursion of drones linked to Mexican drug cartels. Bradley quoted a White House official as saying, “Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Department of Defense took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOD have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”
News Nation correspondent Ali Bradley reported minutes later that the closure was prompted by a breach of airspace by drones owned by Mexican drug cartels.
“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace,” Bradley quoted a White House official. “The Dept. of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”
NEW: A White House official tells my colleague @HannahBrandt_TV that Mexican cartel drones were behind the temporary El Paso airspace closure:
“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Dept. of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there…
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) February 11, 2026
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While initial details of the closure were scant, it was already clear that there was a significant security threat. The FAA went so far as to warn that it would have to use “deadly force” against any rogue aircraft posing an imminent threat, and suggested pilots who attempted to violate the order would “be intercepted, detained, and interviewed” by law enforcement.
The move left travelers in limbo for a brief period and sparked wild speculation about what hidden dangers were lurking in the skies over Texas. The El Paso airport serves as a major American air gateway north of the US-Mexico border.
BREAKING: The FAA has closed the El Paso International Airport for 10 days due to unspecified “special security reasons,” and advised the federal government “may use deadly force” on any aircraft determined to pose “an imminent security threat” within the airspace.
More:… pic.twitter.com/HWqJGJKpn4
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) February 11, 2026
The last time airspace over the United States was shut down for national security reasons was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Thankfully, the War Department’s prompt actions averted the need to implement the 10-day closure, and the skies are clear once more.
Contrast this decisive action with the Biden administration’s handling of the 2023 Chinese spy balloon, which traversed much of the continental United States—including over sensitive military sites—before being shot down off the South Carolina coast after several days.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in remarks to the Western Hemisphere Chiefs of Defense Conference this morning, lauded President Trump’s leadership against drug traffickers.
“Under President Trump, for the first time in history, the Department of War is on offense against narco-terrorists in our hemisphere,” he said.
@SecWar Hegseth delivered powerful remarks this morning to military leaders from 34 countries to open the first ever Western Hemisphere Chiefs of Defense Conference hosted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and the Joint Staff.
Some excerpts:
“Under President… pic.twitter.com/JlwRSXsG1E
— Joseph M. Humire (@jmhumire) February 11, 2026
They may have to go on offense even harder if the cartels have drones that managed to breach American airspace. The President, who has been taking out drug boats threatening the United States, has also toyed with the idea of taking out cartels on land.
“We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water, and we are gonna start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels,” he told Fox News.
“We have to do something.”
That need just grew more urgent.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left’s lies, new legislation wasn’t needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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