❓WHAT HAPPENED: The White House attributed the temporary closure of U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas, to drone activity from Mexican drug cartels.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of War (DOW), and Mexican cartels.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday morning over El Paso, Texas, and parts of southern New Mexico.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones.” – White House statement to Newsweek.
🎯IMPACT: Airspace restrictions were lifted after authorities determined no remaining threat to commercial air travel.
The Trump White House is pointing to drone activity from Mexican drug cartels as the reason for the sudden closure of U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting flights for ten days, but the airspace has since been reopened, with officials stating there is no ongoing threat to commercial aviation.
In a statement, the White House said, “Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones.” The FAA echoed this sentiment on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “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 NOTAM halted flights to and from El Paso International Airport and covered a significant portion of southern New Mexico.
Notably, the FAA applied “NTL defense airspace” considerations, warning that pilots who violated the order could face interception, detention, and questioning by law enforcement. Such an action over a major U.S. city is rare and has not occurred since the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
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