Tipsheet

Report: The FAA Closed El Paso Airspace After Mexican Cartel Drone Incursion; Airspace Now Reopened

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  February 11, 2026 7:25 AM

Update:

A Trump administration official has told NBC News that the closure of El Paso airspace was related to an incursion by Mexican cartel drones. Those drones breached U.S. airspace and were "disabled" by the U.S. military. The FAA says there is no threat to air travel.

An official told The Daily Wire, "The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel."

Update: 

The FAA has now lifted restrictions on El Paso airspace, and commercial flights will resume as normal.

Here's more:

The Federal Aviation Administration abruptly grounded all flights in and out of El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days starting Wednesday, citing “special security” instructions, and then lifted the order hours later.

“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted,” the FAA said in a post on X. “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”

The FAA didn’t immediately say what the security reasons for the temporary sudden halt were. The airport sits next to Biggs Army Airfield and is near the Mexican border, about 12 miles from Juarez, Mexico. The Pentagon referred a question about the nature of the security issue to the FAA.

Original story:

The FAA abruptly closed the airspace around El Paso, Texas for the next ten days for "special security reasons." The closure caught the El Paso airport and pilots off guard.

"Just be advised I guess there's a TFR going into effect," an air traffic controller said to a Southwest pilot who just landed at El Paso. "Just pass it on to Southwest and everybody else at 0630 for the next ten days we're stopped. All ground stopped."

"Okay," the pilot replied. "Ground stop 0630 for how long?"

"Ten days," air traffic control replied.

"So the airport's totally closed?" the pilot asked, sounding surprised. 

"Apparently, we just got informed about 30 minutes to an hour ago." 

"So for ten days you guys are not open?" the pilot asked.

"Well, I mean we'll be here but no air traffic," air traffic control replied.

"Okay, thanks for the heads up," the pilot said, laughing.

Here's more from the AP:

A notice posted on the FAA’s website said the temporary flight restrictions were for “special security reasons,” but did not provide additional details. The closure does not include Mexican airspace.

The airport said in an Instagram post that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded from late Tuesday through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. It suggested travelers contact their airlines to get up-to-date flight information.

The shutdown is likely to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

NewsWire says this is the first time such a closure of airspace has happened since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

According to Fox News, the FAA is warning pilots who don't comply that they may be "intercepted, detained, and interviewed by law enforcement."

The El Paso International Airport also issued a statement:

The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso...Commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction, which appears to be security related.

According to CNN, the FAA also halted flights in an area of southern New Mexico, too.

El Paso International Airport saw 3.5 million passengers pass through in the first 11 months of 2025, according to its website. The airport describes itself as "the gateway to West Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico."