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Hours after airspace was closed over El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 11, the FAA lifted the ban with the Department of War stating it had “disabled” drones from Mexican cartels that entered U.S. airspace. (Photo credit: Kirby Lee / Getty Images, and FAA)
What Was Supposed To Be A 10-Day Airspace Closure Was Brought Down To A Matter Of Hours
In the early hours of Wednesday, Feb. 11, a ban on flights to and from El Paso, Texas, was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. With this ban came a closure of the airspace to “commercial, cargo and general aviation” for El Paso and the surrounding area, including part of New Mexico.
Citing “special security reasons,” the FAA had the ban on El Paso airspace set from Feb. 11 to Feb. 21.
It was even said that the United States “may use deadly force” to counter those who did not adhere to the ban.
Hours later, at approximately 9 a.m. EST on Feb. 11, the ban was lifted, with the FAA reporting, “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”
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 FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) February 11, 2026
While the FAA did not ever note what the cause of the ban was, its announcement was concerning.
Speaking to CNN, Robert Moore, founder and CEO of the news site El Paso Matters, said, “We’ve never seen anything like this here at least since 9/11, when everything was grounded.”
El Paso is home to the El Paso International Airport, and the Texas city is along the border between the United States and Mexico.
In a statement issued to Fox News, the Department of War shed light on the situation, saying:
“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and [Department of War] have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”
How the drones were “disabled” was not disclosed.
This comes as President Donald Trump has been working to keep the U.S. border secure, with Pew Research noting, “Since February 2025, the first full month of Trump’s current term, the Border Patrol has recorded fewer than 10,000 encounters a month at the southwestern border.”
Pew Research adds, “Those are the lowest totals in more than 25 years of available monthly data.”
Democrat Lawmaker Calls For FAA Transparency
Minutes before the ban was lifted, Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NM, posted a video statement to X, formerly Twitter, calling for transparency from the Trump administration’s FAA.
“This decision was made by the FAA without notifying local elected officials — the proper authorities — and, as a result, the airlines have had to cancel flights,” Vasquez said. “Passengers are stranded at the airports, and this is gonna have a deep economic impact to the Borderplex region.”
The Borderplex is comprised of Juárez Metropolitan Area in Chihuahua, the Greater El Paso in Texas, and the Greater Las Cruces in New Mexico.
See his video statement, here:
Update on the closure of El Paso International Airport and its impact on passenger and commercial air traffic. pic.twitter.com/mtNRZQ9OZL
— Rep. Gabe Vasquez (@RepGabeVasquez) February 11, 2026
Following the announcement that the airspace ban had been lifted, Vasquez shared on X, saying he “will continue pressing for answers and accountability for the chaos this has caused.”
See his full post, here:
I just received confirmation that the FAA is lifting the Temporary Restricted Airspace at El Paso International Airport, and flights should resume as normal very shortly.
As I’ve said, there is no national security threat, and I will continue pressing for answers and…
— Rep. Gabe Vasquez (@RepGabeVasquez) February 11, 2026
Similarly, Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-TX, said in a statement to the Associated Press, “I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly and was lifted so suddenly and abruptly … [There is] nothing extraordinary about any drone incursion into the U.S. that I’m aware of.”
Further, she said, “The information coming from the federal government does not add up.”
This is a developing story.
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