February 11, 2026
Drones, delays, and drama
FAA closes airspace around El Paso, Texas, for 10 days, grounding all flights
El Paso flights grounded then back: security theater or real threat? Internet loses it
TLDR: The FAA briefly grounded El Paso flights over a cartel drone scare, then restarted service hours later. Commenters mocked the whiplash and demanded details, splitting between “security theater” and “better safe than sorry,” while jokes about Mexico paying and conspiracies trended—highlighting how sudden shutdowns sow confusion and disrupt lives.
El Paso’s airport went from 10-day shutdown to “all clear” in just hours, after officials said cartel drones entered U.S. airspace. The internet immediately screamed plot twist. Skeptics echoed Rep. Veronica Escobar’s “this doesn’t add up,” while mods got dragged: “Email the mods” and “flagged for speculation” became the vibe. Transportation chief Sean Duffy posted that the threat was “neutralized,” but gave zero details, fueling the comment frenzy. Stranded travelers shared suitcase selfies; everyone else shared memes. Plus, locals want answers. Still, flights are back.
Hot takes flew faster than drones. One commenter joked, “Mexico will pay for it 100%,” turning border politics into punchline. Another winked, “It’s hex ASCII for ‘The Epstein Files’,” pure conspiracy popcorn. Practical minds asked, “Why close skies but not roads?” calling it security theater. Others countered: better safe than sorry—cartels do use drones, as DHS testimony and AP reports note. Mexico’s president said she had “no info,” which only sharpened the online side-eye. Result: a whiplash day of planes, politics, and punchlines.
Key Points
- •The FAA briefly closed and then reopened airspace around El Paso International Airport after a reported Mexican cartel drone incursion.
- •Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA and the Defense Department neutralized the threat; details on drone numbers and countermeasures were not disclosed.
- •El Paso International Airport initially announced all flights were grounded through late Feb. 20, then confirmed operations had resumed Wednesday morning.
- •DHS officials reported frequent cartel drone activity at the U.S.-Mexico border, with 27,000 drones detected in the last six months of 2024 and drug seizures linked to drone smuggling.
- •Mexico’s president said defense and navy secretaries would meet with U.S. Northern Command in Washington; Rep. Veronica Escobar criticized the lack of advance notice to local authorities.