FAA El Paso Airspace Closure Tied to CBP Firing LOCUST Laser Counter‑Drone Weapon
The FAA briefly issued—and then quickly lifted—a 10‑day flight restriction over El Paso after Customs and Border Protection personnel fired a military‑owned LOCUST 20‑kilowatt laser counter‑drone system during a border mission, prompting FAA concerns that the weapon had been used without sufficient coordination with civilian authorities. Officials and lawmakers are divided over whether the closure was prompted by a cartel drone incursion or by safety worries about the unvetted laser test, spurring inquiries and heightened interagency scrutiny as defense leaders convene to address cartel drone threats.
📌 Key Facts
- The FAA issued a temporary flight restriction (a 10‑day TFR) around El Paso International Airport late Tuesday, then reopened the airspace within hours, rendering the TFR effectively moot.
- FAA and administration officials characterized the closure as directly tied to counter‑drone measures and a reported cartel‑drone incursion; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy framed it as a swift joint FAA–War Department response, but local leaders and some lawmakers say that explanation differs from what Congress was told.
- The counter‑drone weapon used was the LOCUST 20‑kilowatt laser system (AeroVironment/BlueHalo): the laser is owned by the military but multiple sources say Customs and Border Protection personnel fired it during the border mission.
- Multiple outlets report the FAA’s primary concern was that the high‑energy laser was fired without sufficient coordination or proper vetting for use near a civilian airport, and a Capitol Hill source says the Defense Department deployed counter‑drone technology before the FAA completed its safety assessment.
- Congressional scrutiny has begun: Rep. Adam Smith is examining whether the Pentagon allowed CBP to use the laser days before the FAA ordered the El Paso TFR, and Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz and other lawmakers are seeking more details on interagency coordination.
- Local officials reported significant disruption on the ground: El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson described 'chaos and confusion,' including medevac flights diverted to Las Cruces, and called the disruption the most serious since 9/11.
- Reporting places the LOCUST deployment in broader context: LOCUST‑equipped vehicles had been spotted near the border as early as August 2025, and the system is part of a larger Pentagon portfolio of directed‑energy programs.
- The incident has drawn attention from defense leadership: War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Joint Chiefs hosted Western Hemisphere defense chiefs in Washington to focus on border control, cartel threats and unmanned systems, with SOUTHCOM and NORTHCOM leaders expected to press counterparts on cartel drones, advanced sensors and multiservice integration.
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 12, 2026
9:41 PM
Laser weapon that shut down El Paso's skies was LOCUST system
New information:
- Confirms the weapon used in the El Paso incident was AeroVironment’s LOCUST 20‑kilowatt laser system, developed by BlueHalo.
- Reports that while the laser belongs to the military, it was actually fired by Customs and Border Protection personnel during the border mission.
- Clarifies that, according to multiple sources, the FAA’s primary concern was that the counter‑drone weapon was fired without sufficient coordination, not simply a 'cartel drone incursion.'
- Notes that LOCUST‑equipped vehicles had been spotted near the border as early as August 2025 and places the system within a broader Pentagon portfolio of directed‑energy programs, including far more powerful lasers planned for future Trump‑class battleships.
4:36 PM
Drones, lasers and an interagency spat: FAA’s El Paso debacle exposes new risks in the skies
New information:
- Rep. Adam Smith says he is specifically examining whether the Pentagon allowed CBP agents to use an anti‑drone laser days before FAA officials ordered a 10‑day El Paso airspace closure.
- Two congressional officials tell MS NOW the shutdown order came after FAA officials objected that the high‑energy laser test near Fort Bliss had not been properly vetted for use around a civilian airport, while military officials insist the FAA was fully informed.
- The article reports that the laser system had already been used earlier in the week and that the El Paso debacle highlights a broader pattern of poor Pentagon–FAA communication, previously seen after the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s public explanation frames the incident as a swift joint FAA–War Department response to a 'cartel drone incursion,' downplaying the interagency spat over the laser test.
- A congressional official acknowledges cartel drones do cross into the El Paso area and says a drone incursion may have occurred, but ties the 10‑day TFR directly to the timing of the planned laser test in shared civil‑military airspace.
February 11, 2026
9:12 PM
The airspace around El Paso is open again. Why it closed is in dispute
New information:
- NPR confirms the FAA initially issued a 10‑day airspace closure around El Paso late Tuesday night, then reopened it within hours, leaving the TFR effectively moot.
- Rep. Veronica Escobar says on the record that the cartel‑drone explanation is "not" what Congress has been told and that the decision came from the FAA in Washington without notifying local officials.
- A Capitol Hill source tells NPR the Defense Department deployed counter‑drone tech before the FAA completed its safety assessment, suggesting interagency coordination failures.
- El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson details "chaos and confusion" on the ground, including medevac flights diverted to Las Cruces and calls the disruption the most serious since 9/11.
- Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz says he is seeking more information and wants details on interagency coordination to be made public.
6:49 PM
Western Hemisphere defense chiefs convene after border drone scare prompts airspace closure
New information:
- An administration official told Fox News that 'Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace' near El Paso and that the Department of War 'took action to disable the drones.'
- The FAA’s temporary restriction on flights in and out of El Paso International Airport is described by that official as 'directly tied to counter‑drone measures along the southern border.'
- War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine are hosting defense chiefs from more than 30 Western Hemisphere nations in Washington, with explicit focus on border control, cartel threats, and unmanned systems.
- New SOUTHCOM chief Gen. Francis Donovan and NORTHCOM commander Gen. Gregory Guillot are expected to press counterparts on cartel drones, advanced sensors, Arctic security and integration across air, land, sea and space.