Fox News' Jeff Paul reports the latest on the reversal after officials announced the airport would be closed for 10 days.

When the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shuts down the airspace over a major American city for "special security reasons," Americans should pay attention.

On Feb. 10, the FAA grounded flights in and out of El Paso International Airport. The original notice referred to a 10-day flight restriction, but it was rescinded the same day. Flights resumed. The questions, however, remain.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later stated that the FAA and the Department of War had acted to address a cartel-related drone incursion, neutralizing the threat before reopening the airspace. No further operational details were released.

Subsequent reporting suggested the closure may have been precautionary and that full operational details have not been publicly disclosed.

Even without those details, the episode matters. It indicates that federal authorities assessed the drone activity as serious enough to affect civilian aviation. 

MEXICAN CARTEL DRONES BREACH US AIRSPACE, ARE DISABLED BY WAR DEPARTMENT, DUFFY SAYS

For decades, Mexican drug trafficking organizations have moved illicit narcotics — including fentanyl — into the United States. Federal assessments consistently identify synthetic opioids as one of the deadliest threats facing American communities.

Cartels adjust when enforcement pressure changes. As land routes tighten and maritime interdiction increases, new methods emerge.

FBI RAMPS UP COUNTER-DRONE EFFORTS AS PATEL WARNS OF GROWING THREATS FROM CRIMINALS, TERRORISTS

In 2024, NORAD Commander Gen. Gregory M. Guillot testified that more than 1,000 drone incidents per month were occurring along the southern border, primarily for surveillance or smuggling. If routine drone activity has been tolerated along the border, then federal........

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