Laser Used to Disable Drones Triggers Airspace Closure in El Paso

Incident raises concerns about coordination between agencies in responding to drone threats

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The airspace over El Paso, Texas was abruptly closed this week after U.S. Customs and Border Protection used a laser system to disable drones near the Mexican border, without coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration. The incident has raised questions about the government's preparedness to deal with the growing threat of drones, especially as more law enforcement agencies are given the authority to take down rogue drones.

Why it matters

The use of counter-drone technology near a busy airport without proper coordination highlights the challenges in responding to drone threats, which have become increasingly common along the U.S. southern border and at major events. The incident underscores the need for clear protocols and communication between different government agencies to ensure public safety.

The details

According to sources, the laser was deployed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to neutralize an incursion by Mexican drug cartel drones, but the FAA was not informed, leading to the airspace closure over concerns about the safety of the laser system near commercial aircraft. The restrictions were initially expected to last 10 days but were lifted a few hours later. Homeland Security officials are now working to address the communication issues that led to the incident.

  • On Wednesday, the FAA shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.
  • The airspace restrictions were initially expected to last 10 days but were lifted a few hours later.

The players

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The federal agency that deployed the laser system to disable drones near the Mexican border without coordinating with the FAA.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The agency responsible for managing the nation's airspace, which was not informed about the use of the counter-drone technology near the El Paso airport.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

The head of the Department of Homeland Security, who stated that the government agencies involved in the El Paso incident are working to address the communication issues.

Brett Velicovich

A drone warfare expert who founded the drone maker Power.us and consults on ways to mitigate drone threats, who criticized the lack of coordination between agencies in responding to the drone threat.

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What they’re saying

“We need to simplify the authorities for who is really in charge and get these egos out of the way from these different agencies before an American gets hurt.”

— Brett Velicovich, Drone warfare expert

“This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken and we're continuing to work on the communication through that.”

— Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary

What’s next

The government agencies involved in the El Paso incident are working to address the communication issues that led to the airspace closure, in order to ensure better coordination in responding to future drone threats.

The takeaway

The El Paso incident highlights the need for clear protocols and communication between different government agencies to effectively respond to the growing threat of drones, especially in sensitive areas like airports and major events. Improving coordination and simplifying authorities will be crucial to ensuring public safety as the use of counter-drone technology becomes more widespread.