Pentagon let CBP use anti-drone laser before FAA closed El Paso airspace, AP sources say
71 sources38% left49% center13% rightReposted by 4 other sources
The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the sit...
Key Points
- The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days.
- EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Pentagon allowed U.S.
- Open the article to view the coverage from The Debrief
- The mess that led to the closure of the airport of El Paso.
Perspective Summary
- Newsweek: Many militaries have turned to laser technology in a bid to cheaply knock out large-scale drone attacks.
- Military Times: The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days.
- The Debrief: Open the article to view the coverage from The Debrief
Timeline
- Initial coverage published
- Pentagon let CBP use anti-drone laser before FAA closed El Paso airspace, AP sources say
- Feb 13, 2026, 5:37 AM
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Flights were grounded overnight for "security reasons," but conflicting accounts have left travelers wondering what really triggered the shutdown
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The mess that led to the closure of the airport of El Paso
The mess that led to the closure of the airport of El Paso. The Pentagon granted the Border Guards a secret hi-tech weapon, whose use caused chaos in the skies
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Many militaries have turned to laser technology in a bid to cheaply knock out large-scale drone attacks
Many militaries have turned to laser technology in a bid to cheaply knock out large-scale drone attacks.
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The unexpected closure of the air space over El Paso, Texas, took airlines, passengers and local authorities by surprise
The unexpected closure of the air space over El Paso, Texas, took airlines, passengers and local authorities by surprise. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily suspended flights after detecting a situation that compromised air safety. Althou...
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President Donald Trump's border adviser Tom Homan was confronted by reporters about the incident with Customs and Border Protection that shut off airspace around El Paso, Texas — but he didn't have any answers to give on the subject
President Donald Trump's border adviser Tom Homan was confronted by reporters about the incident with Customs and Border Protection that shut off airspace around El Paso, Texas — but he didn't have any answers to give on the subject."Sorry to go a little of...
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The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U
The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days.
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The Pentagon allowed U
The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the sit...
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The Pentagon allowed U
The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the sit...
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The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U
The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days.
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Open the article to view the coverage from The Debrief
Open the article to view the coverage from The Debrief
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A new possible explanation for the brief shutdown of the airspace in El Paso, Texas, surfaced late Wednesday—confusion over the testing of an anti-drone laser at the U
A new possible explanation for the brief shutdown of the airspace in El Paso, Texas, surfaced late Wednesday—confusion over the testing of an anti-drone laser at the U.S.-Mexico border. Sources cited by CBS News said the Defense Department has been experime...
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MEXICO CITY (AP) — The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday caused unease south of the US-Mexico border and put the spotlight on the use of drones by Mexican cartels
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday caused unease south of the US-Mexico border and put the spotlight on the use of drones by Mexican cartels.
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Federal agencies are still offering conflicting explanations for last week’s unprecedented shutdown of El Paso’s airspace, even as a separate NOTAM remains active over nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, extending the mystery surrounding the incident and promp
Federal agencies are still offering conflicting explanations for last week’s unprecedented shutdown of El Paso’s airspace, even as a separate NOTAM remains active over nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, extending the mystery surrounding the incident and promp...
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The main Democrat on the Senate Trade Committee, Maria Cantwell, said Thursday that the short closure of El Paso airport by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to security concerns about the use of a laser-based anti-drones military system was una
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WASHINGTON — Federal Aviation Administration officials were forced to close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, late Tuesday after the Defense Department decided to use new anti-drone technology without giving aviation officials ample time to assess the risks
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Federal officials scrambled to freeze all air traffic over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday following a major communication breakdown between the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal officials scrambled to freeze all air traffic over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday following a major communication breakdown between the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration. The ordeal began when the FAA issued a massive 10-day temporary f...
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EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Pentagon allowed U
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people...
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The Pentagon authorized the U
The Pentagon authorized the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to use the anti-drones laser earlier this week, which led the FAA to close its airspace over El Paso, Texas. By Andrés Gil Correspondent in Washington—The Trump Administration po...
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The desert on the U
The desert on the U.S.-Mexico border was an inhospitable and dangerous place. It remains so now, but instead of outlaws and gunfire that force you to seek refuge, there may be drones and lasers that close the airspace. It happened this Wednesday in El Paso,...
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A high-tech laser loaned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security is reportedly responsible for the flight
A high-tech laser loaned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security is reportedly responsible for the flight
