On the 11th of October, the Trump administration announced a temporary closure of the El Paso airport because of reported drone incursions by drug cartels. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) responded quickly to neutralize the threat, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who stated that there was no danger to commercial aviation in the area after the restrictions were lifted and flights began to normalize.

However, local authorities and knowledgeable sources have questioned the official narrative provided by the government. Reports from the Associated Press indicated that the airport closure was primarily due to a test being conducted on a new laser technology intended to neutralize drones operated by Mexican cartels, rather than an emergency situation caused by an actual drone invasion. These insights suggest that the Pentagon had a significant interest in advancing these drone countermeasure tests.

The implications of this incident are significant, as they touch on broader issues concerning border security and the ongoing struggle against drug cartels. If the closure was indeed related to a technology test rather than a direct threat, it raises questions about the extent to which authorities are utilizing such situations to conduct military-style testing under the guise of public safety, potentially impacting public perception around border security operations.