El Paso Airspace Shutdown Linked to Anti-Drone Test Dispute Between Federal Agencies
The abrupt shutdown of the entire airspace over El Paso, Texas, has been directly connected to a significant disagreement between federal officials regarding the safety of anti-drone technology tests conducted near the El Paso International Airport. This incident occurred shortly after the U.S. military mistakenly destroyed a party balloon, believing it to be a drone.
Testing Triggers Abrupt Closure and Federal Tensions
According to reports from CBS News and The New York Times, citing multiple sources, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the airspace closure on Tuesday night. This decision came after the Defense Department initiated tests of new counter-drone technology involving a high-energy laser near the Fort Bliss Army base. Crucially, these tests began ahead of scheduled meetings with the FAA to discuss safety protocols.
The FAA had previously warned the Pentagon that it might close the airspace if not given adequate time to complete a proper safety review. When the testing proceeded regardless, resulting in the laser destruction of the balloon, the FAA executed the closure order. Sources indicate this action was taken without prior notification to the White House, Pentagon, or Homeland Security officials.
Official Statements and Public Confusion
Initially, the FAA stated the airspace around El Paso International Airport would remain closed for ten days due to "special security reasons." A U.S. official later confirmed the balloon's laser destruction to Fox News. However, after several hours of widespread confusion and public anger, the airspace was reopened on Wednesday morning.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy publicly attributed the shutdown, which the FAA had said would last much longer, to an invasion or attack by cartel drones. "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region," Duffy stated in a social media post late Wednesday morning.
Political Backlash and Calls for Transparency
The closure prompted immediate skepticism and criticism from lawmakers. Representative Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat from New Mexico whose district borders El Paso, expressed grave concerns. He noted the shutdown diverted medical evacuation flights and canceled approximately half of the area's commercial aircraft flights.
"The statements this Administration has put out about the situation are misleading at best and a coverup for their incompetence at worst," Vasquez said in a statement shared with HuffPost. He asserted the FAA acted "in error" after tracking the Pentagon's counter-drone tests over multiple days.
"Let's be clear — the Administration has provided no proof of a drone incursion that would warrant this large scale, 10-day response. Our nation can prepare for these threats without causing chaos and inducing unwarranted fear," Vasquez continued. "The American people deserve better than the chaos and lack of transparency we keep seeing from this Administration."
Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, also voiced concerns, stressing that no advance notice about the closure was provided to her office, the city of El Paso, "or anyone involved in airport operations."
"From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas," Escobar said in a social media post. "I will continue to make information public as I learn it."
Agency Responses and Ongoing Questions
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment in an email to HuffPost. Representatives from the Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to similar requests for comment. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between federal agencies regarding the integration and safety testing of advanced military technologies in civilian airspace, raising significant questions about coordination and public communication during such operations.
