“Multiple people briefed on the situation said the abrupt airspace closure was prompted by Customs and Border Protection officials deploying an anti-drone laser in the area without giving aviation officials enough time to assess the risks to commercial planes.”

What We Know About the El Paso Airspace Shutdown

“But multiple people briefed on the situation told The New York Times that the airspace had been closed after immigration officials used an anti-drone laser this week that was on loan from the Pentagon without giving the F.A.A. time to assess the risks associated with the technology.”

Trump’s Actions Test the Fragile World of Air Travel

“The Defense Department had passed along new laser technology to border officials who were planning to use it to interdict drones crossing into the United States from Mexico. But F.A.A. officials were concerned about the potential hazards of using lasers near the airspace where commercial planes were landing at El Paso International Airport, and wanted more information. 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. The Pentagon had insisted to the F.A.A. that the lasers would not pose a risk to civilian aircraft, but the F.A.A., unconvinced, had asked for the military’s data and an opportunity to conduct its own tests, according to three people with knowledge of those discussions. The requests were not satisfied.”

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

“In reality, U.S. officials shot a laser at a party balloon, The New York Times reported.”

Do Drug Cartels Actually Use Drones at the Border?

“Officials told The Times the reason for the shutdown was the deployment of what new technology? A drone-destroying laser”

The New York Times News Quiz, Feb. 13, 2026

“But the government deployed experimental laser weapons and shut down the airspace over El Paso on Wednesday, disrupting flights for the thousands of passengers scheduled to fly through the city that day.”

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