Mexican drug cartel-operated drones entered American airspace near El Paso International Airport in Texas and were disabled by the U.S. military, the Trump administration confirmed Wednesday, as reported by Fox News.

The breach occurred late Tuesday near El Paso International Airport, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily close the airport.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the incident and announced that the airspace restrictions were lifted on Wednesday after the threat was addressed.

Just heard on Real America's Voice that their contact at the Pentagon said it was due to Mexican Cartel drones. pic.twitter.com/db4LcOh0yk

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"The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," Duffy said in a statement posted on X, referring to the Department of War.

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"The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region."

"The restrictions have been lifted, and normal flights are resuming," he added.

Duffy did not specify how many drones crossed into U.S. airspace or detail the methods used to disable them.

The FAA initially announced that El Paso International Airport would be closed for a period of 10 days, citing "special security reasons."

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Such a closure would have been unprecedented for a major U.S. city airport. The restriction applied to American airspace only and did not include Mexican airspace.

El Paso, a border city with nearly 700,000 residents and a larger population when including the surrounding metropolitan area, serves as a key hub for cross-border commerce.

It sits directly across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and is heavily trafficked for both commercial and passenger travel.

The temporary shutdown raised concerns among local officials and residents. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat representing a district that includes El Paso, issued a statement Wednesday morning urging the FAA to reverse the closure.

She said her office, the city of El Paso, and airport operations were not given advance notice.

"The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community," Escobar said. "From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning, there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas."

By Wednesday afternoon, the FAA lifted the restrictions, allowing normal operations to resume at the airport.

The drone incident unfolded the same day the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a warning about misinformation circulating online.

DPS addressed a "fake memo circulating online and through media outlets announcing temporary 10-day road closures in the El Paso area."

"This is a fake memo, and DPS is NOT closing the major highways – or any roads – in or out of the area over the next 10 days," DPS said in a statement.

Officials have not released additional operational details regarding the drone incursion or whether further security measures will be implemented in the region.

The brief closure and subsequent reopening of El Paso International Airport marked a rare disruption of commercial air travel tied to cartel activity near the U.S.-Mexico border.

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