Military disabled cartel drones breaching El Paso airspace; flight restrictions lifted
Trump administration official confirms Defense Department took action to neutralize aerial threat, ending temporary lockdown that grounded commercial flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reopened airspace over El Paso and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Wednesday morning after the Department of Defense successfully neutralized Mexican cartel drones that had breached U.S. airspace.
A Trump administration official told The Associated Press that the initial 10-day “National Defense Airspace” order was triggered by the drone incursion. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss national security operations, confirmed that the Defense Department “took action to disable the drones” after they crossed the border.
Following the military engagement, both the FAA and the Defense Department determined there was “no threat to commercial aviation,” allowing the agency to lift the restrictions and resume normal operations at El Paso International Airport (ELP).
The official did not specify the number of drones involved or the specific electronic warfare or kinetic methods used to disable them.
A ‘Flash’ Lockdown
The confirmation of a kinetic aerial engagement explains the confusion surrounding the initial order. Late Tuesday, the FAA issued Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs 6/2233 and 6/2234) designating the area as prohibited airspace until Feb. 20. The orders, issued under 14 CFR 99.7, authorized the use of deadly force against unauthorized aircraft.
The shutdown caused immediate disruption. According to NBC News, an American Airlines flight from Chicago landed minutes before the lockdown began, while other aircraft were diverted. By Wednesday morning, approximately 70 departing flights had been canceled.
The Target: High-Value Infrastructure
The drone breach occurred directly over a region currently buzzing with sensitive federal activity.
The airspace restrictions covered the development site of Project Jupiter, a $165 billion digital infrastructure campus in Santa Teresa involving BorderPlex Digital. Filings with the New Mexico State Land Office indicate the project, which includes plans for an independent microgrid and massive AI compute clusters, is entering a critical construction phase less than six miles from the border.
Simultaneously, the Department of Justice’s Western District of Texas is conducting “Operation Take Back America,” a surge operation targeting transnational criminal organizations. Court records confirm a spike in criminal filings in El Paso during the first week of February.
The timeline suggests the cartel drones may have been attempting to surveil these federal assets or test response times before being disabled by U.S. military assets.
This is a developing story. Last updated 8:41 a.m. MT.
