“According to the people briefed on the situation, El Paso’s airspace was shut down when the Defense Department, operating out of Fort Bliss, a nearby Army base, decided to mobilize that new technology over the F.A.A.’s objections.”

Military’s Use of Anti-Drone Technology Said to Cause El Paso Airspace Closure

“After border officials went ahead and used the technology, ignoring the pleas, the F.A.A. determined it had no further leverage to use. So it played its only card — or perhaps overplayed it. Late Tuesday night, it abruptly closed El Paso’s airspace, an extraordinary measure that disrupted travel and shocked local residents.”

Closing of El Paso Airspace Adds to Tension Between F.A.A. and Pentagon

“Working alongside military personnel, agents from Customs and Border Protection, which is part of the Homeland Security Department, used the weapon this week not far from El Paso International Airport, prompting fury inside the F.A.A. and a brief shutdown of the airport and airspace in that region. Late Tuesday night, the F.A.A. administrator, Bryan Bedford, caught off guard that the system was being used without authorization and concerned for public safety, believed he had little choice but to close the airspace for 10 days, according to more than a half-dozen people.”

Inside the Debacle That Led to the Closure of El Paso’s Airspace

“It's also worth noting that the laser weapon used over El Paso was on loan from the U.S. Army to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).”

The El Paso drone scare is the future of national security paranoia