El Paso airspace shutdown sparks D.C. blame game
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Fort Bliss in El Paso. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Trump administration is blaming a "cartel drone incursion" for the sudden closure of the airspace around El Paso, Texas on Wednesday, though sources also pointed to miscommunication between the military and Federal Aviation Administration as a factor in the decision.
Why it matters: Residents of El Paso woke up to the news that local airspace would be closed for 10 days, a duration unprecedented in any U.S. city since 9/11. No explanation was offered until the order was reversed eight hours later, an information vacuum that was filled by frenzied speculation.
- Local political leaders and even military officials at Fort Bliss said they had no idea what was going on.
Driving the news: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy eventually broke the silence, writing on X that the FAA and Defense Department "acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," adding: "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region."
- An administration official also blamed "Mexican cartel drones" and said the military "took action to disable" them.
- Another source told Axios that the military was testing counter-drone technology, and there was a dispute with the FAA about potential risks to civilian flights in and out of El Paso's busy airport.
Between the lines: There have been conflicting media reports about whether the military was responding to an active drone incursion or testing a new counter-drone weapon.
- One source familiar with the interagency discussions said it was both: drone incursions along the border had been occurring "with some regularity," and the Pentagon saw that as "an opportunity to test the weapon in a live situation."
- However, the FAA was concerned the weapon might be able to bring down a civilian aircraft. The National Security Council was aware of discussions between the two ahead of the planned test, the source said.
- "The Pentagon said, 'Trust us.' But they have a checkered history. We came up on the one-year anniversary of the accident at Reagan and the FAA was not about to let that happen again," the source said, referring to the deadly crash between a military helicopter and a civilian airliner last year.
The intrigue: Multiple sources said there was friction between the FAA and Pentagon around the decision.
- The FAA's abrupt order came after the Pentagon "was unable to meet the FAA's standards to guarantee safety of civilian aircraft," according to a source familiar with the decision.
- Another administration source claimed "the FAA went overboard" by ordering a 10-day shutdown, and said the White House had not been notified.
- An Army spokesperson told Axios the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss in El Paso was not aware of any threat prior to the closure. "We think we're safe on the base at the moment. There wasn't anything we were tracking."
Context: There are few, if any, precedents for an airspace closure spanning 10 days and barring even emergency and military flights.
- It is unclear at this time why the announcement was not accompanied by assurances that there was no threat to public safety.
What to watch: While officials are slinging blame back and forth in private, the administration's official statements mirror Duffy's language around a drone incursion.
Go deeper: El Paso mayor slams FAA over airspace closure
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
