• The Pentagon tested high-energy laser technology near El Paso’s airport to counter cartel drones but accidentally shot down a party balloon instead
• FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford shut down the airspace for 10 days without notifying the White House, Pentagon or local officials — a grounding duration not used since 9/11
• Conflicting federal explanations and bipartisan frustration have raised serious questions about interagency communication on border defense operations

EL PASO, TX (TDR) — The El Paso airspace shutdown that grounded flights for roughly eight hours Wednesday exposed a tangled breakdown in federal communication — one that involved a high-energy laser test, a mistaken target that turned out to be a party balloon and dueling explanations from the Trump administration and members of Congress about what actually prompted the unprecedented El Paso airspace closure.

The Federal Aviation Administration late Tuesday issued a Notice to Airmen grounding all flights at El Paso International Airport for 10 days — a duration for a full airport grounding not seen since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The notice classified the area as “national defense airspace” and warned that the government “may use deadly force” against any aircraft deemed an imminent security threat.

Pentagon Laser Tests Triggered the Standoff

At the center of the dispute was the Pentagon’s decision to accelerate testing of a high-energy laser system designed to shoot down unmanned aircraft. The military had been conducting extensive planning to deploy the technology near Fort Bliss, a sprawling Army installation that sits directly adjacent to El Paso International Airport.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

Two sources identified the weapon as a high-energy laser. Meetings between FAA and Pentagon officials were scheduled for Feb. 20 to assess potential safety impacts on civilian air traffic. But defense officials grew impatient.

“Pentagon officials wanted to test the technology sooner, stating that U.S. Code 130i requirements governing the protection of certain facilities from unmanned aircraft had been met.”

Pentagon officials cited statutory authority under U.S. Code 130i, which governs protections for military facilities from drone threats, as justification for moving ahead of the planned coordination timeline. The FAA, unable to guarantee the safety of civilian aircraft with the laser system operating, took the extraordinary step of shuttering the airspace entirely.

Earlier this week, the anti-drone technology was deployed near the southern border to engage what operators believed were foreign drones. At least one target turned out to be a party balloon, according to multiple sources familiar with the incident. One balloon was shot down. Sources also indicated that at least one actual cartel drone was successfully disabled, though the Pentagon declined to provide additional details on how many drones were targeted or what actions were taken.

FAA Acted Without Telling the White House

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford made the decision to close the airspace Tuesday night without alerting the White House, Pentagon or Department of Homeland Security officials, according to multiple sources. Bedford told officials the restrictions would remain in place until safety concerns with the Department of Defense could be resolved.

The grounding halted all aviation operations — including commercial flights, cargo operations and emergency medical evacuation flights — across a 10-nautical-mile radius around the airport. Medical flights were diverted to Las Cruces, New Mexico, approximately 45 miles away, and a plane carrying surgical equipment from Dallas never arrived.

President Donald Trump was not informed the closure was coming, sources said. The issue surfaced Wednesday morning during a regular meeting in White House chief of staff Susie Wiles‘ office, and within minutes the FAA lifted the restrictions.

“We’re very curious, and in a major airport in a big city, we’d like to know what they’re doing and why.”

Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told CBS News he was not notified of the closure in advance.

Conflicting Federal Explanations

The competing narratives from federal officials added to the confusion. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X crediting the FAA and Department of Defense with acting “swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.”

“The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that message. But multiple other accounts — from CBS News, CNN, the Associated Press and the Texas Tribune — painted a different picture. Industry officials briefed by the FAA told reporters the closure stemmed from the Pentagon’s failure to coordinate its anti-drone operations with aviation safety authorities.

“It has to do with the FAA’s inability to predict where unmanned aircraft systems might be flying. They have been operating outside the normal flight paths.”

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10