# El Paso Airport closed for 10 days for "security reasons" (reopened on February 11, 2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 11, 2026, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575 "2026-02-11T10:18:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/141 "2026-02-27T14:11:33Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Not related to this thread at all. Just a completely unrelated fuck up. > > [https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/texas-airspace-closed-drone-laser-pentagon-us-border-mexico](https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/texas-airspace-closed-drone-laser-pentagon-us-border-mexico) > > At least they actually got a drone and not just a party balloon. I may be missing something here, but the US military shot down a US Customs and Border Patrol drone? And triggered an airspace closure in the process? Is that right? ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/142 "2026-02-27T14:20:41Z")
Here’s a link that does not require registration; > **[Texas airspace closed after military reportedly downs US drone by accident](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/26/texas-airspace-closed-drone-laser)** > > Federal Aviation Administration bars flights around Fort Hancock after reported use of anti-drone military laser > [@](#): > > The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) barred flights on Thursday in an area around Fort Hancock, [Texas](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/texas), after congressional aides told Reuters a military laser-based anti-drone system was believed to have accidentally shot down a US government drone. > The FAA and Pentagon did not immediately comment but the FAA cited “special security reasons” in [its notice about the restrictions](https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_1113) on the airspace near the Mexican border posted on its Notam alert system, shorthand for “Notice to Air Missions”. > The airspace restriction around Fort Hancock took effect at 6.30pm local time on Thursday and remains in effect until 24 June, according to the notice. _June?_ > [@](#): > > Earlier this month, the FAA said it was halting traffic for 10 days at the airport in El Paso, Texas, only to [reverse course](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/11/faa-close-airspace-el-paso-texas-airport) and lift its order after about eight hours, after border protection agents [reportedly](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/feb/11/donald-trump-benjamin-netanyahu-israel-iran-jeffrey-epstein-jobs-economy-us-politics-live-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-698d27848f08e0390f13f17c#block-698d27848f08e0390f13f17c) used a laser-based anti-drone system on loan from the Pentagon to shoot down a party balloon. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/143 "2026-02-27T15:52:17Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Further, since these border terrorists and drug drones are figments of the Propaganda Ministry That’s the vibe this gives me. They intend to keep shooting until they hit a thing that MUST be out there so they can prove it IS there. Because, they tell themselves, eventually they WILL get something they can claim was a hostile and somehow it will “prove” them right about EVERYTHING. (That’s setting aside that any real smuggler pro using a drone would fly it (a) nowhere near line of sight of any federal installation and (b) treetop down in the ground clutter.) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/144 "2026-02-27T15:55:51Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > When each organization prizes secrecy over coordination it’s gonna get stupid quickly and stay stupid forever. This is how you get terrorist attacks. The FBI watching some terrorist cell, but not telling some other part of the FBI or some other organization about it. DHS was supposed to put an end to all of that siloing, but this administration is so incompetent and petty, I suppose we’re right back to where we were on September 10, 2001. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/145 "2026-02-27T16:52:30Z")
Balloons, clowns; sounds like a real party. A party of evil. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/146 "2026-02-27T17:47:22Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I suppose we’re right back to where we were on September 10, 2001. It’s much, mucher dumber than that. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575/147 "2026-02-27T17:50:05Z")
Oh, definitely. The agency and bureau leaders back then may have been empire builders, back-stabbers, and protective of their own information, but they weren’t totally incompetent, chosen only for their loyalty to the head grifter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/el-paso-airport-closed-for-10-days-for-security-reasons-reopened-on-february-11-2026/1027575.md?page=7)