FAA lifts temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration says a Mexican cartel drone incursion prompted an hourslong closure of airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration reopened the airspace on Wednesday morning (Feb. 11, 2026), just hours after it announced a 10-day closure that grounded all flights to and from the airport. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on X Wednesday morning that the FAA and the Defense Department “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” He did not say how many drones were involved or what specifically was done to disable them.