All flights at El Paso airport in Texas halted for 10 days for 'security reasons,' FAA says

[Liberal In Texas]

All flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas have been halted for “special security reasons,” the Federal Aviation Administration said early Wednesday.

“No pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM,” the FAA said, using the abbreviation for Notice to Airmen. It listed the reason as “temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons.”

The restriction for the airspace over El Paso and the neighboring community of Santa Teresa, New Mexico came in at 6:30 a.m. UTC, or coordinated universal time (11:30 p.m. ET). It will end at the same time on Feb. 21.

It did not elaborate on why the restrictions had been put in place for El Paso, which borders Mexico and is the the 23rd-most populous city in the nation according to the 2020 census.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flights-el-paso-airport-texas-halted-10-days-security-reasons-faa-rcna258497

WTF?

[Aviation Pro]

1. Staging area?

That would be my guess.

[Liberal In Texas]

2. The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted the closure on the airspace in El Paso - Mexican Drones!

Or so they say.

According to CNN, Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace, an administration official told CNN, which triggered a temporary airspace closure over El Paso.

The airspace closure was prompted by a US military operation related to drug cartels, according to two sources briefed on the matter.

"The Department of War (sic) took action to disable the drones,” the official told CNN. "The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel."
https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/faa-grounds-all-flights-to-and-from-el-paso-until-feb-20