High-Energy Laser Grounds El Paso Airspace After Border Drone Incursion
FAA closed El Paso airspace after a high-energy laser neutralized an alleged cartel drone incursion, prompting coordination questions and a brief shutdown.
Overview
Federal authorities closed airspace over El Paso after a counter-drone operation using a high-energy laser neutralized an incursion, and the FAA's initial 10-day restriction was shortened to a matter of hours, officials said.
The action responded to reported incursions by Mexican cartel drones, a persistent problem that officials said included more than 27,000 detections within 1,600 feet (500 meters) of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.
El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said the closure "should've never happened" and criticized that the shutdown was not coordinated with the city, the airport and hospitals, officials said.
The government has awarded $250 million in grants to the 11 states set to host World Cup matches, plans another $250 million later this year to strengthen drone defenses, and Homeland Security estimates more than 1.7 million registered drones, officials said.
Officials and national security experts said agencies must improve coordination and clarify authorities for using counter-drone tools, and a joint federal task force is working on policy and operational guidance, officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the El Paso laser incident as a failure of institutional discipline and militarization at home, using condemnatory language, privileging military safety norms and FAA professionalism, and highlighting leadership failures. They emphasize systemic risk and omit substantial CBP justification, creating a narrative that stresses danger, negligence, and erosion of public trust.
Sources (8)
FAQ
The closure was triggered by the Pentagon testing a high-energy laser anti-drone defense system without sufficient prior coordination with the FAA, in response to alleged cartel drone incursions.
The FAA initially announced a 10-day closure but rescinded it hours later, limiting the shutdown to a matter of hours.
El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson stated the closure 'should've never happened' due to lack of coordination with the city, airport, and hospitals, causing unnecessary disruption.
Mexican cartel drones have been detected over 27,000 times within 1,600 feet of the southern border in the last six months of 2024.
The government awarded $250 million in grants to states for drone defenses, plans another $250 million, and a joint federal task force is developing policy and operational guidance for counter-drone tools.
History
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