this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2026
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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/47269276

The Federal Aviation Administration has closed airspace over El Paso and parts of southern New Mexico for 10 days under a national defense designation, offering no explanation for the rare move. The FAA order states aircraft violating the restriction could face interception and possible use of deadly force.

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Updated:

The Federal Aviation Administration dropped unprecedented airspace restrictions for El Paso after seven hours Wednesday morning, but not before flights were canceled at El Paso International Airport and El Pasoans were gripped by anxiety.

El Paso leaders harshly criticized the FAA for issuing the notice with no communication with local officials.

In a social media post, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA and what the Trump administration calls the Department of War acted “to address a cartel drone incursion.”

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

what the Trump administration calls the Department of War

Lol

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yes, they have changed the unofficial yet almost completely official name of the DoD to the DoW. It hasn't fully officially been named that, because it requires an act of Congress, but everyone is now calling it that even in official correspondence.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'll be deep in the cold, dead ground before I recognize the Department of War

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think that's actually what it was originally called. Department of Defense is the lie since it's basically never been used for defensive purposes.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

According to Wikipedia, there was a period of time after WWII when it was known as the "National Military Establishment". They changed that once they realized that NME could be pronounced "Enemy"....

[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Reality is always far stupider than you could joke about

[–] cv_octavio@piefed.ca 1 points 22 hours ago

Department of deez.

[–] rogsson@piefed.social 7 points 1 day ago

The Department of Fascism. Comes of the tongue nicely. 

[–] DarkFuture@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Today on "Literal Children Run Our Federal Government".....

Airport: Yo, DoD, you can't fly shit in commercial air space.

DoD: Fuck you.

Airport: Ok, we're pulling the plug so you don't kill a plane full of people.

DoD: Fuck, the optics are going to be awful for us. Ok, we'll stop breaking the law...just this once though.

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Huh? The FAA grounded planes, not the airport.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago
[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Rumor I heard is that the military is planning to start testing some counter drone system, and in discussions with FAA, they couldn't promise that civilian flights would be safe, so FAA pulled out the big gun.

It sounds like this counter drone system would only be for use on drones that cross the river into us airspace, but I'm not sure of that.

For reference, the US has operated an Air Defense Identification Zone for a long time, that covers Mexican airspace near the border. The air force tries to identify, track, and sometimes intercept all air traffic in the ADIZ. Civilian air traffic is supposed to be on a filed flight plan, in communication with ATC, and have an assigned four digit transponder code. Failure to do so may result in interception by scrambled aircraft.

I would imagine that "cartel drones" in or around Juarez would not be doing the above. But there may also be too many of them to economically intercept with F15s.

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is the information I'm being given as a person who works GPS for the government. Cartel drones is the root cause.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago

“Fear of” cartel drones would be the root cause, whether that fear is justified or not

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Update: It now seems possible that the "cartel drones" may have actually been party balloons.

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 4 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

Party balloons,

Or

99 ways to overwhelm US air defenses.

Party on, Wayne!

On a totally unrelated tangent:

Things to add to my pantry:

Helium

Assorted dick shaped balloons

Chinese lanterns

Popsicle sticks

Elastic bands

Card stock paper

[–] mkwt@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Hey,

The Air Force has experience with balloons now.

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 1 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Those were "weather balloons".

And just one at a time.

We can do this.

(If that is a real kill decal, that is hilarious, though)

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sounds to me like their fancy new toy can't tell the difference between a commercial airliner and a toy drone. I bet Elon built it (with heavy input from Grok, of course)

[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Musk telling his underlings what to code: "And make sure they only target the black drones! The white drones are off limits!"

[–] BigDiction@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

So many questions. Airspace still closed in New Mexico at the same level?

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

This is wild. I wonder what Trump is trying to hide from view.

[–] mercano@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Congress members got access to the unredacted Epstein files this week. I’m sure he’d love to reset the news cycle.

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm being told this is about cartel drones in the area. I have no idea if that is the real reason, but with cartels using legit submarines then I have no problem believing this might actually be the real reason.

From the article:

Escobar said drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border has been a well-known problem in the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez region.

“Those of us who live in El Paso likely have known that there have been drone incursions from Mexico going back to as long as drones existed. So, this is nothing new, and this drone incursion from Mexico (was) obviously not something any of us want to see. But this is not unusual, and there was nothing extraordinary about the drone, any drone incursion into the U.S. that I’m aware of,” Escobar said.

I feel like its something else they didn't want anyone to see from an aerial perspective, like troops entering Mexico or the digging and filling of mass graves for ICE detainees at Fort Bliss.