Laser, drone or balloon? Airport closure in the US causes confusion and raises the possibility of military error

El Paso International Airport Redes Socias/El Paso International Airport Donald Trump’s government stated that the incursion of a Mexican cartel drone led to the temporary closure of an airport in Texas. Lawmakers and press reports, however, indicate that the cause may have been the Pentagon’s inadvertent use of an anti-drone laser. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported on Tuesday night that the airspace over El Paso, on the border with Mexico, would be closed for ten days for “security reasons”. The restriction was lifted a few hours after the announcement. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X Network that the FAA and Pentagon “reacted quickly to confront an incursion of drones belonging to a cartel.” According to him, “the threat was neutralized” and there was no danger to commercial traffic. Democratic congresswoman Verónica Escobar, who represents El Paso, questioned the official version and stated that this was not the explanation presented to Congress. A laser? Later, local press reports cited federal government testing of anti-drone technology at an air base near El Paso International Airport. The measure would have resulted in the closure of the area to civil flights. Broadcaster CBS reported, based on government sources, that the FAA closed the airspace amid doubts about the safety of testing the technology near the airport. National Public Radio (NPR) said the Department of Defense deployed the system before the completion of an FAA safety assessment, which led to the sudden shutdown. The Wall Street Journal newspaper stated that the device is a type of laser. According to sources, the Pentagon recently used technology to shoot down what it believed to be a drone, but the object turned out to be a party balloon. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said she had no information about the use of drones on the border and stated that there is “constant communication” between the two governments. Congressmen Rick Larsen and André Carson stated that current legislation allows the armed forces to act “recklessly in public airspace”, without elaborating. Something ‘doesn’t match’ Helicopters parked at Fort Bliss Air Base after the closure of airspace over El Paso, in the USA REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez “The information coming from the government does not match what I was able to find out during the night and this morning,” Congresswoman Verónica Escobar told reporters. Other members of the House Transportation Committee suggested that the Pentagon may have been responsible for the situation. The Pentagon referred questions to the FAA. When announcing the restriction, the agency stated that no pilots could operate aircraft in the affected areas and warned of the possible use of “lethal force.” The Trump administration says it is at war against “narco-terrorists” and has carried out lethal attacks against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. The president also stated that he intends to expand these actions to the mainland. Sheinbaum opposes US military intervention in Mexico and has sought to maintain a diplomatic balance with Trump. The Mexican government has increased extraditions of cartel leaders and strengthened border cooperation amid tariff threats and Trump’s campaign promise to curb irregular immigration. ‘Unnecessary decision’ A panel displays canceled flights at El Paso International Airport on February 11, 2026 REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez Airlines have suspended flights arriving or departing in El Paso, a city on the border with Ciudad Juárez. Mayor Renard Johnson called the measure an “unnecessary decision” and said there was no coordination with local officials. According to him, something similar had not occurred since the attacks of September 11, 2001. El Paso airport received 3.49 million passengers in the first 11 months of 2025. On January 16, the FAA warned of “military activity” in the airspace of regions close to Mexico and countries in Central and South America, recommending greater caution for 60 days. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

Source link