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Posted by edward 19 hours ago

Officials Claim Drone Incursion Led to Shutdown of El Paso Airport(www.nytimes.com)
Latest archive link: https://archive.is/Qdq4x
329 points | 526 commentspage 4
cozzyd 14 hours ago|
During the ICE surge in Chicago drone traffic was banned for a while but this is obviously much more extreme if for a similar reason. Note that at least on some roads out (I'm most familiar with the road to Carlsbad from El Paso since I used to have to travel there in grad school, often from ELP) there are already CBP checkpoints.
baggachipz 14 hours ago|
El Paso is in a very Red state, ICE involvement is minimal there.
procflora 4 hours ago||
It's inter-organizational disfunction. Always more plausible than any conspiracy.

https://apnews.com/article/faa-el-paso-texas-air-space-close...

Pentagon wanted to test the new laser but didn't give FAA enough information to assure safety of the NAS and civilian aviation (when, where, effects, etc.) so they felt forced to pull the big TFR lever. They fired the laser of at who knows what and then FAA lifted the TFR.

einrealist 18 hours ago||
Reminds me of this: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-plot-plant-bombs-c...

El Paso is a hub for cargo. Probably takes some days to go through all that parcel.

voxadam 16 hours ago||
Judging by the previous actions of this administration — Operation Metro Surge 2: Tex-Mex Boogaloo
banga 8 hours ago||
Today I learned of the broader disruptive capabilities of a mylar birthday balloon.
superfrank 8 hours ago|
The elders sang songs of this day, and we were foolish not to take heed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpu5a0Bl8eY

bashtoni 19 hours ago||
According to CNN the entire airspace is closed, not just the airport https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/11/us/faa-el-paso-texas-flig...
dlcarrier 18 hours ago||
It's closed below 18,000 ft, over a 10 nautical mile radius: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233
lisper 19 hours ago||
Yep. TFR was issued three hours ago.

https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233

chasd00 15 hours ago||
Some drug cartel probably bought a SAM and they’re trying to find it.
VizualAbstract 9 hours ago||
It was a party balloon. GG.

https://x.com/clashreport/status/2021642699603144708

tantalor 9 hours ago|
Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from Venus.
jeffbee 5 hours ago||
Venus was at its peak brilliance last night. You probably thought you saw something up in the sky other than Venus, but I assure you, it was Venus.
vincnetas 16 hours ago|
Map :

https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_0091

imglorp 15 hours ago||
This one's responding.

https://skyvector.com/?ll=31.836456906566234,-106.7029640846...

guerrilla 16 hours ago|||
It seems like you linked to a different area on the border to Mexicali?
dathinab 15 hours ago||
that link shows the wrong blocked airspace in my case

(it shows that some areas above the border in the desert are blocked off, which makes sense to fight drug smuggling by drones without risking mistaking drones with aircrafts)

but he article is about the new circular zone directly placed over El Paso with El Paso International Airport directly in it's center. (Interestingly because they used a circle it technically covers the Mexican side of the boarder including a part of the airport on their side, but practically FAA can't shut down Mexican airspace so it's misleading).

Also worth noting there is:

- Holloman Air Force Base

- White Sands Missile Range

- Fort Bliss

- Fort Bliss McGregor Range

direct besides the city

so a Military exercise, or deployment of Military (Trump has said he will bomb cartel hideouts in Mexico) can be added to the list of possibilities

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