Overview
- The FAA issued a late‑night NOTAM halting all flights to and from El Paso for up to 10 days, then lifted it within hours and said there was no threat to commercial aviation.
- U.S. officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, said drones linked to a Mexican cartel violated U.S. airspace and were neutralized, though they disclosed no numbers, types of drones, or arrests.
- Reporting by CBS, The New York Times, NPR and others points to Department of Defense or CBP counter‑drone activity near Fort Bliss—including a high‑energy laser—and inadequate coordination that precipitated the closure.
- Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said her government has no information confirming drones launched from Mexican territory and has requested details through diplomatic channels.
- El Paso’s mayor and members of Congress criticized the lack of communication after diversions and cancellations, and some media cited unverified accounts that a downed object was a party balloon as core operational facts remain unclear.