National Security · Government·February 11, 2026
CBP anti-drone laser incident triggers El Paso airspace closure
Reports said officials targeted party balloons after public claims about cartel drones
NBC News reported that CBP used military-owned laser technology near El Paso and that sources said the targeted objects were party balloons rather than cartel drones.
Secretary Sean Duffy publicly described the event as a cartel drone incursion after the airspace closure.
The prior why_this_matters date was corrected because the verified reports place the closure and public claims around February 11-12, 2026, not February 9.
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