Mexican cartel drones breach US airspace near El Paso, disabled by military
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Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels violated US airspace and were quickly neutralized by the US military, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.
The breach occurred near El Paso International Airport in Texas, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close the airport Tuesday evening. Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy confirmed the violation and lifted the airspace restriction on Wednesday.
“The FAA and DOW acted quickly to address a cartel drone incursion,” Duffy announced in a statement on X, referring to the Department of War. “The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.”
“Restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming,” he added.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the airspace above El Paso had been breached by Mexican cartel drones. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
He did not say how many drones were involved or what was done specifically to neutralize them.
The FAA’s initial announcement predicted that the El Paso airport would be closed for a period of 10 days, which would have been unprecedented for an American city. The FAA cited “special safety reasons” to justify the initial closure.
El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and more when including the surrounding metropolitan area, is a hub for cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The brief closure did not include Mexican airspace.
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A sign at El Paso International Airport (ELP) on December 25, 2025 in El Paso, Texas. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, had urged the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. No notice was given to her office, the city of El Paso or airport operations, she said.
“The FAA’s far-reaching decision to close the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has caused significant concern in the community,” Escobar said. “From what my office and I were able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas.”
The incident occurred the same day the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a warning about “a fake memo circulating online and in the media announcing 10-day temporary road closures in the El Paso area.”
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“This is a false memo, and DPS will NOT be closing major highways – or any roads – in or out of the area for the next 10 days,” DPS said in a statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
