The United States government reported this Wednesday, February 11, that drones allegedly operated by Mexican cartels were intercepted and neutralized, after the El Paso International Airport in Texas temporarily suspended operations for security reasons.
The incident occurred in the border area with Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, in a context of bilateral tension over issues of drug trafficking, border security, and trade disputes between Mexico and the United States.
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Why did the El Paso International Airport close?
According to Sean Duffy, the United States Secretary of Transportation, the threat was detected following the flight of drones allegedly linked to a Mexican drug cartel, which activated air security protocols.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in coordination with defense authorities, implemented temporary airspace restrictions as a preventive measure.
“The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming”, the official stated.
After the intervention, operations at the border airport resumed as normal.
Tensions between the United States and Mexico over security and drug trafficking
The incident occurs amid a hardening of Washington’s rhetoric against Mexican cartels, which have been designated by U.S. authorities as terrorist organizations.
President Donald Trump has reiterated the possibility of taking more direct actions against groups involved in drug trafficking, especially given the increase of fentanyl in the United States.
However, the Democratic congresswoman from El Paso, Verónica Escobar, stated that there is no active threat in the region and emphasized that the FAA lifted the restrictions quickly.
Read more: Donald Trump threatens ground attacks against drug trafficking from the United States
Claudia Sheinbaum denies the use of drones at the border
During her morning conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that there is no confirmed information about the use of drones by cartels on the Mexico-United States border.
“In any case, the security cabinet is investigating it”, affirmed the president, while urging to avoid speculation as the facts are clarified.
The Mexican government assured that communication channels remain open with U.S. authorities to review any incident that may affect regional security.
