Anti-drone laser systems, Mexican drug cartels and ground stops

Video Description

A sudden airspace shutdown over El Paso this week left travelers scrambling and officials searching for answers. Early reports indicated that no flights would be allowed in or out of El Paso for ten days — a restriction officials say we haven't seen since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Multiple officials at the local, state, and federal levels said they had not been given advance notice. Just hours later, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the ground stop, but questions remain about how such a sweeping closure came to be. New reporting suggests Border Patrol officials may have been preparing to test an anti-drone laser system on loan from the Department of Defense. The federal government has made significant investments in countering cartel-operated drones, which are increasingly used along the southern border for surveillance and smuggling operations. According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, plans to test the laser did not include sufficient coordination with aviation authorities. As a precaution, the airspace was shut down altogether. CNN reports the laser had already been tested in more rural areas in recent weeks, hitting Mylar balloons during trial runs. There had reportedly been a meeting scheduled for later this month to discuss the technology, but the Pentagon pushed to accelerate the timeline. Shortly after the airspace reopened, the White House pointed to cartel drone incursions as justification. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted that Mexican cartel drones had crossed into U.S. airspace. Drone incursions are not new. During a congressional hearing last year, a Department of Homeland Security official testified that drone crossings occur almost daily. "Malicious actors in our backyard and across the homeland are finding new ways to use drones to facilitate criminal activity nearly every day," said Steven Willoughby, the deputy director for DHS's counter-drone program in July 2025. "Warring cartel functions have attacked one another using drone-delivered explosives, and it's only a matter of time before Americans or law enforcement are targeted in the border region." Victor Manjarrez, a former Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent, told Texas Border Watch that while counter-drone technology is necessary, major concerns remain. "Have you ever seen a reaction like this to a drone incursion, fully shutting down the airspace?" Reporter Jordan Elder asked. "I have not. This was pretty significant," Manjarrez said. "When the FAA is gonna make a decision like that, it's very impactful, not only for the federal agencies or local agents, but the region itself." Manjarrez wasn't surprised to hear the government is testing technology to take out cartel drones, but he says he hopes officials consider the impact on the public when shooting them down. The Department of Homeland Security has dedicated significant new resources to counter-drone operations, including establishing a specialized office focused solely on that mission. For now, El Paso’s airspace is fully reopened, and it's unclear if the laser was tested while airspace was restricted.