Cartel drones vs Texas lasers

This article was originally published in The Spectator on February 12, 2026. 

Yesterday, El Paso, Texas, was placed under severe restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration. For unspecified reasons of national security, no aircraft would be allowed in or out for ten days. Washington sources soon confirmed what many suspected: the cause was hostile drone activity from Mexico.

Then there was an about turn. Within a few hours, the flight ban was lifted. What actually happened? We know that the Department of War has been working on an anti-drone system for some time, using lasers to shoot down craft. One of these laser systems was actually deployed near El Paso and officials claim a drone was indeed shot down. The FAA, concerned with possible threats to civil aviation, then imposed the ten-day flight ban. The reason for the absurdly long no-fly zone was that a meeting between the FAA and the DoW had already been scheduled – nine days away. This isn’t just a story about hostile Mexican drones, then, but hapless American bureaucracy.

Read full article in The Spectator.