by heythere22
0 subcomment
- https://archive.is/GCep9
- > Airline sources told Reuters the grounding of flights was believed to be tied to the Pentagon's use of counterdrone technology to address Mexican drug cartels' use of drones of the U.S.-Mexico border.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-halts-all-flights-texass...
by jmatthiass
13 subcomments
- As someone else mentioned, there’s some speculation in aviation subreddits that the bounds of the altitude restriction map to the MANPAD capabilities that some cartels are purported to have.
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1r1s4zt/comment/o...
My read is that the admin is planning forceful strikes on the cartels within Mexico and is worried about their ability to retaliate by taking down US aircraft across the border.
Edit: The closure has now been kiboshed. The wording seems a little “don’t panic-y” to me, but better that than the alternative!
https://x.com/FAANews/status/2021583720465969421
- There is a circular restriction around the airport and a trapezoid one next to the city (https://elpasomatters.org/2026/02/11/unexplained-faa-order-s...).
What are the plausible explanations here? I can't think of anything except military action against Mexico (or the cartels inside Mexico). But even that doesn't fit well.
A suspected terror attack could explain the airspace around the airport, but not the weird trapezoid restriction next to the city.
The duration of 10 days is also weird, that seems very long for any kind of emergency situation. And as far as I understand, it is unusual to have no exceptions at all here e.g. for medical transports via helicopter.
- Action to close airspace over a major city in the US for security reasons over extended period hasn’t happened since 9/11.
10 day closure for security reasons seems really long.
edit: Same restriction imposed around Santa Teresa, New Mexico. ~15 miles northwest of the El Paso airport.
by thomasjudge
5 subcomments
- Closure rescinded https://x.com/FAANews/status/2021583720465969421
- To me the trapezoid suggests something traveling south fell in the area. Narrow at the top, wide at the bottom.
Maybe they dropped a nuke by accident (again)
- According to postings on a couple Reddit discussions, this surprised the El Paso city council among others:
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1r1r7tu/what_does...
and
https://www.reddit.com/r/ADSB/comments/1r1pqnp/10_day_tfr_is...
by dlcarrier
1 subcomments
- Here's a direct link to the notice: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233
Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) tend to be pretty terse, but they do usually call out "VIP" if they're due to someone visiting.
The type listing of "security" gets thrown around a lot, though. For example there's a permanent security TFR around the closest Air Force base to me (https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_5_8746) because they regularly fly unmanned aircraft that can't fly in insufficiently controlled airspace, and the standard airspace layout around an airport of that size isn't sufficient, so instead of making special rules for that airport, there's a "security" TFR to give air-traffic controllers extra control of what would normally be uncontrolled airspace.
It is pretty unusually to get such a short notice, and to not have instructions for exemptions.
by Nathanael_M
1 subcomments
- The percentage of comments written primarily for the purpose irrational political ranting is frustrating, considering the genuinely interesting nature of the story.
- The Federal Aviation Administration said it had lifted the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso that it had imposed last night. “All flights will resume as normal,” the F.A.A. said on social media.
by 3D30497420
1 subcomments
- Further commentary/speculation on this Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/ADSB/comments/1r1pqnp/10_day_tfr_is...
It includes a local city Councilmember who's says he is working to get more information.
- Live camera of runway
https://app.truelook.cloud/dashboard/581/980/live
Linked from airport website:
https://elpasointernationalairport.com/live-cameras/
- Nuclear weapons test? The latest test treaty just expired.
Edit: There are two TFRs, one in El Paso and one right next to it in the mountains: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2234
- "A person familiar with the notices, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said the action to close airspace over a major U.S. for security reasons over extended period hasn’t happened since immediately after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."
https://elpasomatters.org/2026/02/11/unexplained-faa-order-s...
- FAA closed another airspace nearby: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2234
- From February 11, 2026 at 0630 UTC (February 10, 2026 at 2330 MST)
- To February 21, 2026 at 0630 UTC (February 20, 2026 at 2330 MST)
My guess is nuclear tests
by weirdsweatsuit
0 subcomment
- Representative Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat, said in a news conference that the explanation citing Mexican drones crossing the border as the reason for the closure was “not the information that we in Congress have been told.”
She said that there was no current or past threat to the area. “There’s no threat. There was not a threat, which is why the F.A.A. lifted this restriction so quickly,” she said. “The information coming from the administration does not add up.”
“There have been drone incursions from Mexico going back to as long as drones existed. So this is nothing new” (NYT)
- Maybe there's credible threat of MANPADs from the cartels? Wouldn't be the first time around, apparently.
https://old.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1r1s4zt/faa_groun...
by 1970-01-01
0 subcomment
- Whatever happened to the New Jersey drones? Did we give up on them or did they give up on us?
- More likely to be related to the E Files than the X ones
- The closure has been lifted: https://x.com/FAANews/status/2021583720465969421
- Millions of dollars of stuck planes and cargo. If it was somebody’s fantasy, it sure was an expensive one - but I’m not sure I want to know what it was if it was a real thing
- My money is on misplaced black budget project craft
Maybe that new F-47 did a trump and fell asleep somewhere in the desert
- I wonder if the dormant volcanic field west of El Paso that is covered by the TFR may be similar to Iranian volcanic mountains?
Remember, the Netanyahoo just arrived in the US mere hours before this and it is always a bad omen when the devil comes to collect.
- Could it be that USA government believe that Iran might be trying to do something similar to the Ukraine operation spiderweb, where they attacked the Russian long distance bomber fleet with short distance FPV drones?
While there aren't bombers at Fort Bliss. As far as I know there are other high value targets.
- Today I learned of the broader disruptive capabilities of a mylar birthday balloon.
- Am I hallucinating? Wasn't there just an identical thread on the front page not even an hour ago?
- I just think it's weird that major events regarding the Epstein files always seem to be below the fold because something huge, that just happens to be entirely under executive branch discretion, ends up dominating the headlines.
- "Special security reason", sounds like a prelude to a special military operation?
- During the ICE surge in Chicago drone traffic was banned for a while but this is obviously much more extreme if for a similar reason. Note that at least on some roads out (I'm most familiar with the road to Carlsbad from El Paso since I used to have to travel there in grad school, often from ELP) there are already CBP checkpoints.
- Judging by the previous actions of this administration — Operation Metro Surge 2: Tex-Mex Boogaloo
by einrealist
0 subcomment
- Reminds me of this: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-plot-plant-bombs-c...
El Paso is a hub for cargo. Probably takes some days to go through all that parcel.
- According to CNN the entire airspace is closed, not just the airport https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/11/us/faa-el-paso-texas-flig...
- Some drug cartel probably bought a SAM and they’re trying to find it.
by altairprime
1 subcomments
- I wonder if this was issued by the VP’s Secret Service to the FAA directly; they got caught last year fucking with DC airspace using a beacon spoofer, and they would (presumably, they’re the SS) have the authority to issue these secretly without having to be named and answer for the impact: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/aviation-flights-whi...
(See also Die Hard 2, I suppose.)
But: of the “less simple than invading Mexico” theory (which would be trivial to confirm or refute with binoculars and telescopes) I think the nuclear testing theory is more likely, as it would be in character for the current U.S. administration to decide to turn a border region radioactive to both decrease both the quantity of, and the median fertility of, those who cross the border, especially following posturing about health care costs. Presumably the U.S. does not view itself as liable to Mexico for across-the-border downwinder’s treatment costs. Not seeing a spike in KI prices in a couple spot checks, though.
Hopefully it’s something offensive enough to finally get the world to embargo Palantir.
by vincnetas
3 subcomments
- Map :
https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_0091
- Could be a window for a bunch of deportation activity? It's not very low profile if that's the case.
by bloomingeek
0 subcomment
- NPR just announced the El Paso airport is back online for air travel.
by VizualAbstract
1 subcomments
- It was a party balloon. GG.
https://x.com/clashreport/status/2021642699603144708
by markus_zhang
0 subcomment
- Aliens? I want to believe...
by burnt-resistor
1 subcomments
- It was reported on Democracy Now! that an anonymous source said the military representing Biggs Army Air Field at Fort Bliss (KBIF) couldn't guarantee safety of commercial air traffic around El Paso International Airport (KELP). There was no specific details communicated and the message released caused unnecessary panic. The most likely explanation seems to be an unresolved dispute between the military and the FAA related to improving airspace safety around military flight tracks near major airports (class B/C/D airspace).
by philipwhiuk
0 subcomment
- FAA has rescinded the TFR - looks like a possible DoD goof in relation to army exercises, leading to the FAA being overcautious.
by philipwhiuk
1 subcomments
- > BREAKING: A source briefed by FAA tells me the El Paso flight ban was driven by military operations from Biggs Army Air Field at Fort Bliss
https://x.com/petemuntean/status/2021573468341383284
- Crashed alien vehicle recovery?
by jollyllama
0 subcomment
- Related to the Guthrie kidnapping perhaps?
- If there were some mundane reason for the shutdown (e.g. ATC staffing, or volcanic ash) it wouldn't be a secret, and if there were an emergency (one severe enough to ground all aircraft for so song) we would've heard or seen something.
Occam's Razor says, this order came down from Trump. If that's the case, only question remaining would be what is he planning.
- Downed UAP recovery?
by theonlyjesus
0 subcomment
- I'm from El Paso. This is bullshit if I've ever heard. There are no fucking drones around here, especially not from cartels. The only criminal cartel here is ICE.
by vjvjvjvjghv
1 subcomments
- “For special security reasons”. Is a “special military operation “ following? Maybe somebody in Mexico said something mean about the president.
But seriously, is this normal without any explanation? The cost must be enormous.
- They lifted the restriction:
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/11/faa-el-paso-airport.html
TACOs…..
by ubermonkey
0 subcomment
- If a reasonable administration took this step without any justification, I'd have serious questions.
Under this administration, I'm very very concerned that it's cover for something deeply nefarious.
by JumpinJack_Cash
0 subcomment
- What are the odds that Claudia the President of Mexico has already been extracted now?
- Has anybody checked the pizza/chinese takeout traffic in DC?
by incomingpain
1 subcomments
- https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233
This isnt a particularly special thing. It's a catchall rule and given the identical one to the west, it looks like a common military one.
- There is a slim possibility that if it was airtraffic control equipment upgrades, but that would be put in the bullitin and known about long in advance, that it is just imposed with no warning is wrong and just shows how the FAA is becoming more 3 letter every day.
by october8140
1 subcomments
- Strike on Mexico incoming.
by josefritzishere
1 subcomments
- Is Trump planning to attack Mexico?
by fallingmeat
1 subcomments
- guys. it's aliens. nbd.
by JumpinJack_Cash
0 subcomment
- The entire conspiracy theory industry is praying that the closure runs its course for the established 10 days and then everything is re-opened and the reasons behind the closure are not further explained or even better become classified
Not saying this isn't suspect though.
- Another distraction from the Trump Files.
by donkeybeer
0 subcomment
- [flagged]
- "Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker"
by sriram_malhar
0 subcomment
- "Wag The Dog" movie all over again. Sure looks like deflection from the Epstein Files and economy.
by KnuthIsGod
2 subcomments
- Launching the invasion of Canada and Greenland perhaps..
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