On February 10–11, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) abruptly issued a 10-day closure of the airspace around El Paso International Airport and nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, grounding all commercial, cargo, general aviation, and even medical flights without advance notice, citing “special security reasons” in an unprecedented move that would have lasted until Feb. 20. The restriction covered a roughly 10-mile radius and included warnings of potential deadly force for unauthorized aircraft violations, leading to widespread confusion, stranded passengers, and protests from local leaders including El Paso’s mayor and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar about the lack of coordination and transparency with local authorities and airlines.

Just hours after the initial notice, the FAA lifted the airspace closure early on Feb. 11, saying there was no ongoing threat to commercial aviation and normal flights would resume. Federal officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, attributed the sudden restriction to a cartel drone incursion that reportedly breached U.S. airspace, and a Pentagon-FAA dispute over uncoordinated testing of military counter-drone technologies, including high-energy lasers, which raised safety concerns for civilian aircraft. Conflicting explanations and criticism from Mexican authorities and U.S. lawmakers have left details unclear, but officials maintain the threat has been neutralized and emphasized the unusual nature of such a broad shutdown.