{"id":164708,"date":"2026-02-14T14:32:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T14:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/164708\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T14:32:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T14:32:27","slug":"el-paso-flights-resume-after-mexican-cartel-drones-reportedly-trigger-airspace-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/164708\/","title":{"rendered":"El Paso flights resume after Mexican cartel drones reportedly trigger airspace closure"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted<\/a> its temporary closure to the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas, after originally saying that all flights in and out of the airport would be grounded for 10 days. No explanation for the closure was given, beyond a vague reference to \u201cSpecial Security Reasons.\u201d CBS News reported<\/a> the closure was \u201ctriggered by Mexican cartel drones breaching US airspace.\u201d The Department of Defense has reportedly disabled the drones, the news outlet said.<\/p>\n

The closure was announced late on February 10th in a notice on the FAA website<\/a>, and was expected to apply until February 20th. A second notice<\/a> lists a similar closure for nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Airspace in a 10-mile radius around El Paso airport was included, though flights above 18,000 feet are unaffected, as is Mexican airspace.<\/p>\n

El Paso operates flights from major US airlines including Southwest, Delta, United, and American. The New York Times reports<\/a> that Southwest will be most affected by the closure, with 480 flights scheduled through the 10-day period. An unnamed spokesperson for the airport told the Times that the closure was issued \u201con short notice,\u201d and in a social media post<\/a> has told travelers to contact their airlines for more information.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 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,\u201d El Paso congresswoman Veronica Escobar said in a series of posts on X<\/a>. \u201cThere was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations. We have urged the F.A.A. to lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Update February 11th: This story has been updated to reflect the FAA\u2019s order to lift its temporary closure of El Paso\u2019s airspace, and to include CBS News report about \u201cMexican cartel drones\u201d.<\/p>\n