El Paso Airspace Shutdown Raises Questions About Drone Threats and Pentagon Testing

Viral ICE Home Entry Video and Rice University's 'ICE Heat Map' Also Highlight Immigration Enforcement Transparency Issues

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A series of recent border and immigration-related incidents have raised new questions about transparency and accountability. The abrupt shutdown of the El Paso airspace was officially blamed on cartel drone activity, but multiple sources suggest it was actually triggered by a Pentagon counter-drone laser test. Meanwhile, a viral video showed ICE agents entering a San Antonio home without a warrant, and a Rice University student created a website to track ICE activity nationwide using news reports.

Why it matters

These incidents highlight the ongoing tensions and lack of clarity around immigration enforcement, border security, and the use of new technologies. They also underscore the challenges of maintaining public trust and ensuring proper coordination between government agencies when it comes to sensitive operations.

The details

The El Paso airspace shutdown occurred on February 11, 2026, with the Trump administration citing "special security reasons" involving alleged cartel drone activity. However, multiple sources suggest the real trigger was a Pentagon plan to test a high-energy counter-drone laser, which allegedly lacked proper coordination with the FAA. Meanwhile, a viral video showed ICE agents entering a San Antonio home without a warrant, supposedly to pursue an undocumented fugitive. Investigative reporters found no record of criminal charges or indictments for the individual, raising questions about the justification for the home entry. Separately, a Rice University student created a website called ICEMAP that uses automated scrapers to track ICE activity across the U.S. based on local and national news reports, providing transparency that the student argues is often downplayed or hidden by official sources.

  • On February 11, 2026, the FAA abruptly shut down all airspace over El Paso, grounding flights in and out of the international airport for several hours.
  • In 2025, there were police reports of a tracking device and a verbal dispute involving Gonzalo Mahia Ortega, the individual targeted in the San Antonio ICE home entry, but no arrests were ever made.

The players

Trump administration

The Trump administration cited "special security reasons" involving alleged cartel drone activity as the reason for the El Paso airspace shutdown.

Pentagon

Multiple sources suggest the El Paso airspace shutdown was actually triggered by a Pentagon plan to test a high-energy counter-drone laser.

Gonzalo Mahia Ortega

The individual targeted in the San Antonio ICE home entry, who reportedly escaped through a window while agents were inside the home and remains at large.

Jack Vu

A student at Rice University who developed a website called ICEMAP that uses automated scrapers to track ICE activity across the U.S. based on local and national news reports.

Rice University

The university where Jack Vu, the creator of the ICEMAP website, is a student.

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What they’re saying

“The site uses automated scrapers to gather local and national news reports about ICE raids, protests, and arrests, clustering them into a heat map for users to see activity near them.”

— Jack Vu, Creator of ICEMAP website (foxsanantonio.com)

“Vu started the project after an ICE raid at a Houston apartment complex caused students to stop attending his volunteer classes out of fear.”

— Jack Vu, Creator of ICEMAP website (foxsanantonio.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case of Gonzalo Mahia Ortega, the individual targeted in the San Antonio ICE home entry, will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow him out on bail.

The takeaway

These incidents highlight the ongoing tensions and lack of transparency around immigration enforcement, border security, and the use of new technologies. They underscore the challenges of maintaining public trust and ensuring proper coordination between government agencies when it comes to sensitive operations that impact local communities.