US military shoots down Mexican cartel drones that breached US airspace

Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso, prompting an immediate military response from Fort Bliss. Using electronic warfare systems, U.S. forces successfully disabled the intruding drones. A White House official confirmed that this airspace violation directly triggered the security incident.

In response, the FAA imposed a 10-day flight restriction over El Paso International Airport and the nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico area, citing special security reasons. The no-fly zone was scheduled to remain in place until February 20 at 11:30 p.m. local time. As a result, all commercial operations stopped abruptly, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.

Many travelers had arrived late the previous night or were preparing for early morning departures, only to discover mass cancellations upon reaching check-in counters. Southwest Airlines suspended all flights to and from El Paso in full compliance with the FAA directive, while United Airlines issued travel waivers that allowed affected passengers to rebook without change fees or fare differences on the same route and cabin class.

The airport had already experienced an evacuation five days earlier due to an alarm activation, adding to local concerns. City representative Chris Canales described the sudden NOTAM as unexpected and highly disruptive, noting that even Army personnel were worried about their scheduled flights. Similarly, Rep. Veronica Escobar called the FAA order unprecedented and said it generated significant alarm throughout the community.

Hours after the initial grounding announcement, the FAA lifted the restrictions and stated there was no ongoing threat to commercial aviation. Normal operations resumed immediately.