The Trump administration announced it had taken down a Mexican cartel drone flying into US airspace – only to confirm hours later that the object was nothing more than a party balloon.
The chaos began when anti-drone technology was deployed near the southern border to target what officials initially believed were foreign drones.
The object was later identified as a party balloon, according to sources. At least one was shot down, multiple sources said.
The incident forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to initially shut down El Paso airspace, which spans two border states, for ten days.
On Tuesday night, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford moved to close the airspace without alerting the White House, the Pentagon, or Homeland Security officials, sources told CBS News.
Hours later, the agency lifted the ban, noting that there was no ongoing threat to commercial travel.
However, the White House stated on Wednesday, saying: ‘Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace.
‘The Department of Defense took action to disable the drones.’
The restricted airspace covered a ten-mile-wide area centered roughly five miles southwest of El Paso, extending from the ground up to 18,000 feet
The FAA order, announced at 11.30pm on Tuesday, covered a ten-mile-wide area roughly five miles southwest of the Texas city, from the ground up to 18,000 feet.
El Paso airport describes itself as the gateway to West Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights from there, among others.
Pilots who failed to follow the restrictions were threatened with questioning or detainment by law enforcement or security personnel.
The last time US airspace was shut down for national security was after 9/11.
The FAA also temporarily closed airspace over New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, but that was due to storm damage.
Unlike previous restrictions, the El Paso closure blocked all flights over the city, including police and medical helicopters.
It is a move rarely, if ever, seen in modern US aviation.
A spokesman for El Paso airport said: ‘The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso.
‘Commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction, which appears to be security-related.’
El Paso International Airport handled more than four million travelers in 2024, the most recent year with published statistics
El Paso International Airport handled more than four million travelers in 2024, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Major airlines, including Southwest, United, American and Delta, operate flights at the airport, and the nearby US Army base, Fort Bliss, sits less than three miles away.
At the direction of the FAA, Southwest has temporarily paused all operations to and from El Paso.
The airline said it had notified affected passengers and will share updates as more information becomes available.
‘Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees,’ its spokesman said.
United Airlines announced that travelers with flights to or from El Paso during the airspace shutdown can adjust their plans without incurring change fees or fare differences.
The waiver applies to new flights booked between February 21 and February 28, the company confirmed.
Veronica Escobar, a congresswoman who represents El Paso, said the FAA’s move to shut down the El Paso airport for ten days was ‘unprecedented.’
Southwest is among several carriers that operate out of El Paso
‘From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas,’ she said in a statement.
‘We have urged the FAA to lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area. I will continue to make information public as I learn it.’
El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000, and larger when including the surrounding metro area, is a hub of cross-border commerce with neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.
The flight restrictions did not affect Mexican airspace or planes flying above 18,000 feet.
The last commercial flight to land before the shutdown was an American Airlines flight from Chicago, which touched down at 10.57pm, according to NBC News.
A private plane from Everett, Washington, is scheduled to arrive at 1.13am. Wednesday was diverted to the smaller Las Cruces International Airport.
El Paso City Council member Chris Canales said local officials were not given any advance notice of the restriction.
‘What’s especially troubling is that there appears to have been no advance notice to local government, airport leadership, or even local air traffic control or local military leadership,’ he added.
Grounding all flights for ten days would have cost the city millions of dollars, he said.
