El Paso Airspace Shut Down Due to CBP’s Anti-Drone Laser Activity

The recent hours-long shutdown of El Paso airspace was triggered by the deployment of an anti-drone laser by Customs and Border Protection. Reports indicate that CBP officials failed to give the Federal Aviation Administration adequate time to evaluate the risks posed to commercial flights, resulting in the sudden closure. On Wednesday, the FAA announced the airspace closure around El Paso International Airport for “special security reasons,” affecting both commercial flights and emergency medical services. Although the FAA initially projected a 10-day closure, the airspace was reopened just hours later. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on X that the FAA and the Department of War acted quickly to respond to a cartel drone threat, asserting that the situation had been resolved. According to reports, CBP officials mistakenly believed they were targeting a cartel drone, but it turned out to be a party balloon. Sources revealed that one balloon was shot down. The Pentagon had supplied the anti-laser technology to CBP, which was deployed in response to claims from Trump administration officials that Mexican cartels were using drones for drug smuggling and surveillance of border patrol agents. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has contested these assertions. The anti-drone system in use was AeroVironment’s LOCUST, a 20-kilowatt directed-energy weapon designed to neutralize drones. The CBP collaborated with the Pentagon to implement the laser near Fort Bliss, a US Army base in El Paso, without coordinating with the FAA. Lawmakers are demanding explanations from Trump administration officials regarding the airspace closure. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) emphasized the need for a comprehensive account of the incident, questioning whether safety protocols were adhered to and why public communications seemed inconsistent. Texas Representative Veronica Escobar criticized the closure as a result of “incompetence at the highest levels of the administration” and is seeking to obtain the answers that the public deserves.