Mexican cartel drones breach US airspace near El Paso, disabled by military
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Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels violated American airspace and were soon disabled by the US military, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.
The breach occurred near El Paso International Airport in Texas, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close the airport late Tuesday. Transport Sec. Sean Duffy confirmed the breach and lifted the airspace restriction on Wednesday.
“The FAA and DOW took swift action against a cartel drone attack,” Duffy said in a statement about X, referring to the War Department. “The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the area.”
“Restrictions have been lifted and normal flights continue,” he added.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says airspace over El Paso has been violated by Mexican cartel drones. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
He did not say how many UAVs were involved or what specifically was done to disable them.
The FAA’s initial announcement said the El Paso airport would be closed for 10 days; This was an unprecedented situation for a US city. The FAA cited “specific safety reasons” for the initial shutdown.
El Paso, a border city with a population of approximately 700,000 people or more when the surrounding metro area is included, is the center of cross-border trade along with the neighboring city of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. The brief closure did not include Mexican airspace.
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A sign at El Paso International Airport (ELP) in El Paso, Texas, on December 25, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, called on the FAA to lift the restrictions in a statement Wednesday morning. He said no advance notice was given to his office, the city of El Paso or airport operations.
“The FAA’s extremely important decision to close El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has raised serious concerns in the community,” Escobar said. he said. “Based on information my office and I have received 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 through media outlets announcing a temporary 10-day closure of roads in the El Paso area.”
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“This is a fake memo and DPS is not closing major highways or any roads in or out of the area for the next 10 days,” DPS said in a statement. he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
