Federal officials made the unprecedented decision to abruptly close the airspace above El Paso, Texas, this week — effectively shutting down the city’s international airport.
The closure launched a flurry of speculation about the cause, from an imminent invasion to rogue anti-aircraft weapons.
It later turned out that the order, which would’ve closed the airport for ten days, was issued by Federal Aviation Administration administrator Bryan Bedford after finding out that US officials’ use of a high-energy, counter-drone laser weapon at Fort Bliss, a US Army post right next to the El Paso International Airport.
The enemy drone swarm turned out to be a simple party balloon, a potentially enormous — and unintentionally hilarious — overreaction, contradicting claims by the White House of an imminent drone incursion from Mexican drug cartels.
Now, the New York Times reports that the anti-drone laser was used by Customs and Border Protection officials, who had loaned the device from the Department of Defense, yet another confusing wrinkle in an already chaotic series of events. The extremely rare airspace closure was seemingly the result of aviation officials not getting enough notice from the CBP agents, multiple people briefed on the situation told the newspaper.
According to the sources, CBP officials believed they were shooting the laser weapon at a Mexican cartel drone, and not a party balloon.
The latest development highlights the Trump administration’s ongoing militarization of CBP, enabling its personnel to use military-grade equipment, often against unarmed individuals, from drones and helicopters to armored vehicles. The CBP’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in particular, has been at the center of a violent, nationwide crackdown, resulting in at least two deaths, triggering congressional investigations.
The latest embarrassing slip-up was similarly met with furor among lawmakers.
“A ten-day shutdown of a major US air corridor is an extraordinary step that demands a clear and consistent explanation,” said senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in a statement. “The conflicting accounts coming from different parts of the federal government only deepen public concern and raise serious questions about coordination and decision-making.”
The CBP appeared to have jumped the gun with its use of the anti-drone weapon. FAA and Pentagon officials were scheduled to meet next week regarding the safety implications, according to the NYT. The CBP officials appeared to have used the laser gun regardless, increasing the FAA’s urgency.
However, the timeline remains hazy. Sources told the newspaper that the FAA’s decision to close the airspace preceded the conclusion of a safety assessment, and that the FAA warned the Pentagon it would have to shut down the airspace if not given sufficient time, suggesting there may have been a standoff of some sort behind closed doors.
In short, it’s an enormous mess, resulting from powerful technology landing in the hands of immigration officials, who appear to have failed to coordinate and communicate effectively with other government departments.
Other officials were left completely in the dark. White House and El Paso officials were blindsided, sowing major chaos.
“That failure to communicate is unacceptable,” El Paso mayor Renard Johnson told reporters on Wednesday.
More on the incident: You Are Not Prepared for What Actually Shut Down the El Paso Airport This Morning, But Let’s Just Say It Involves a Military Mega-Laser Shooting Something Down