Trump Administration Links El Paso Airspace Shutdown to Mexican Cartel Drones

The Trump administration on Wednesday blamed drones linked to Mexican drug cartels for a sudden and temporary closure of U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas, triggering major disruptions before flights were later cleared to resume.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially announced a 10-day closure of the airspace over “special security reasons,” a move that would have grounded all incoming and outgoing flights at El Paso International Airport. However, the decision was reversed within hours, and normal flight operations were restored.

Later in the day, federal officials said the closure was prompted by drone activity connected to Mexican cartels that had breached U.S. airspace.

“Cartel drones are being shot down by our military,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told members of Congress, confirming the administration’s position.

An official statement said cartel-linked drones had crossed into U.S. airspace, prompting urgent security assessments by federal agencies. However, authorities later concluded that there was no ongoing threat to civilian aviation.

“The FAA and DOD have determined there is no threat to commercial travel,” the statement said.

The FAA also confirmed the lifting of restrictions, saying: “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 brief shutdown affected airspace spanning two U.S. border states, raising concerns about cross-border security and the growing use of drone technology by criminal groups operating near the U.S.-Mexico border.