2025 · El Paso and Sierra Blanca, Texas
The El Paso airspace closures
WhenNovember 2025 – February 2026
WhereEl Paso and Sierra Blanca, Texas
Backing3 independent
Evidenceofficial records, documents
An FAA 'national defense airspace' notice of 8 November 2025 closed the airspace southeast of El Paso, near Skywatcher's Sierra Blanca base, through November 2026; it was cancelled on 14 November. On 10 February 2026 El Paso's airspace was closed for about seven hours over what officials called a cartel drone incursion.
Evidence, in date order (3)
- 8 Nov 2025FAA 'national defense airspace' noticeofficialclosed airspace southeast of El Paso near Sierra Blanca, then cancelled
- Feb 2026Sen. Jack Reedofficialrejected the official explanation for the February closure
- 13 Apr 2026Defense Newsdocumentconfirmed the LOCUST anti-drone laser was in use near Fort Bliss Defense News: the laser incidents near El Paso (13 Apr 2026)
How plausible · High
Officials confirm the closures and laser use, and a senator rejected the cartel-drone story; what was engaged is unclear.
- ●●Access Officials.
- ●●No gain sought Official.
- ●●Character record A senator, FAA.
- ●●Checkable details check out FAA notices.
- ●●Fits the documented skeleton Laser use documented.
- ●●Fits secrecy practice Changing explanations.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- Secretary Sean Duffy posted 'The threat has been neutralized.'
- The New York Times reported that CBP fired a Pentagon anti-drone laser at what proved to be a party balloon.White Sands lure
- Senator Cruz asked for a classified briefing, and Senator Reed rejected the explanation.
- The laser was LOCUST, in its Army AMP-HEL vehicle version, loaned to CBP near Fort Bliss (Defense News).White Sands lure
- A second closure: on 26 February 2026 a military laser downed a 'seemingly threatening' drone at Fort Hancock that turned out to be CBP's; the FAA restricted the area through 24 June.White Sands lure
- Fort Bliss was picked for a directed-energy counter-drone pilot on 6 May 2026.
Claims
The November 2025 order near Sierra Blanca was started by a JSOC liaison to the FAA 'to shoot down drones'.anonymousSourced, unconfirmedNewsNation sources
It was not cartel drones; either the US is red-teaming itself with a secret persistent drone capability, or it is someone else, a human state, a non-state group or non-human actors. White Sands lies just to the north.White Sands lurespeculationLeadEric Weinstein (Diary of a CEO, 2026)
DOT/FAA, the Department of War and DHS announced on 16 Oct 2026 a drone flight restriction along the US-Mexico border, in force 19 Oct 2026 to 19 Oct 2027, 1 nautical mile deep, surface to 400 ft; Hegseth said troops will shoot down any cartel drone that threatens U.S. sovereignty, including with directed energy.firsthandOn the recordFAA, Department of War and DHS (16 Oct 2026)
From 25 Aug 2026 the Army's AMP-HEL laser (LOCUST's vehicle version) has been used on the border: 11 drones downed by 4 Sep, more than 300 downed since January with kinetic and non-kinetic systems; locations not given. Officials claim about 75% fewer drones in the Rio Grande Valley, with no baseline.White Sands lurefirsthandOn the recordNORTHCOM (4 Sep 2026); military officials and CBP
Context, not corroboration: the border zone builds open, standing laser shoot-down authority, the backdrop of the shoot-down allegations, but its stated target is cartel drones, its 400 ft ceiling fits small drones, and no announcement mentions UAP.Did Trump authorize the shootdown of UFOs? (Christopher Sharp)White Sands lureanalysisSourced, unconfirmedour reading (Weaponized write-up, addendum 23 Oct 2026)
Where
El Paso and Sierra Blanca, Texas
31.5°N 105.7°W
In The picture
The shoot-down yearsSources say a staged lure at White Sands succeeded and that shoot-downs were authorised, while a counter-drone laser was fired at El Paso.
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Sources
- The Diary of a CEO, Eric Weinstein episode, 2026
- Defense News: the laser incidents near El Paso (13 Apr 2026)
- NBC: military laser downs CBP drone at Fort Hancock (26 Feb 2026)
- AeroVironment: LOCUST at White Sands with JIATF-401 and FAA
- Just Security: Defense Department, southern border and cartel drones (19 Oct 2026)
- FAA: DOT, DoW and DHS join forces to protect southern border airspace