BySTACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Published:12:28 GMT, 11 February 2026|Updated:15:00 GMT, 11 February 2026
The Trump administration has taken down a drone tied to a Mexican cartel after it flew into US airspace.
The incursion forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to shut down El Paso airspace, which spans two US border states, for 10 days.
Hours later, the FAA lifted the ban, noting there was no ongoing threat to commercial travel.
'Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of Defense took action to disable the drones,' theWhite Housesaid in a statement.
According to two sources familiar with the situation, the shutdown was part of a U.S. military operation targeting drug cartels.
The specifics of the operation remain unclear, though the Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized its intent to crack down on cartel activity in Mexico and beyond.
Rudy Ridolfi, former Space System Commander in the US military, told Daily Mail: 'A source reported that Fort Bliss started drone operations into Mexico with jammers, and the FAA local was “overly cautious.”'
'The NOTAM system has pretty low overhead. Any airport manager can put out a notice. It doesn’t have much oversight, but that’s for speed and safety.'
Source: Drudge Report
