UPDATED — 1:12 p.m. ET
According to CBS News, a brief airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday was triggered by a dispute between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon over safety concerns tied to high-energy laser tests. The FAA reportedly acted unilaterally in imposing the closure without notifying key agencies:
The Pentagon had undertaken extensive planning on the use of military technology near Fort Bliss, a military base that abuts the El Paso International Airport, to practice taking down drones.
Two sources identified the technology as a high-energy laser.
Meetings were scheduled over safety impacts, but Pentagon officials wanted to test the technology sooner, stating that U.S. Code 130i requirements governing the protection of certain facilities from unmanned aircraft had been met.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Tuesday night decided to close the airspace — without alerting White House, Pentagon or Homeland Security officials, sources said.
The Federal Aviation Administration declined to comment on the matter.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
On Wednesday morning, the White House stated drone activity from Mexican drug cartels caused the sudden closure of U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas on Wednesday morning.
In a statement to Newsweek, the White House said, “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones.
“The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”
Restrictions set earlier by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been lifted and authorities say there remains no threat to commercial air travel.
“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal,” the FAA said on its X account.
This article originally appeared on Great America News Desk. It is republished with permission.
READ NEXT: The Foreign Corruption Report Washington Preferred To Ignore
Sponsored
Better convince Sheinbaum our security is nonnegotiable. She can control the cartels or Trump will.
You’ve got that right!
If Mexico can’t, or won’t, control their cartels … we’ll most certainly have to.
It is in our national interest, and it must be done for the safety of our nation and it’s people.
Mexico can work with us for the safety and security of BOTH of our nations, or we must, and will, do it alone!
It’s best to work along with our neighbors, but if they won’t do that, it’s to their disadvantage.
We are no longer a paper tiger! ‘Papa tiger’ is now in charge!
About time!