#el-paso-airspace-shutdown

#el-paso-airspace-shutdown

"The Battalion Search and Rescue always carries the Electronic Frontier Foundation's zine in our desert rig. We're finding new surveillance all the time, and without a resource like that, we wouldn't know what the hell we're looking at."

This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and US officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities, the US ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, wrote on X.

Both of the Southwest pilots involved in this incident over the weekend told the air traffic controller that they received alarms from their collision avoidance systems that directed them to take action with one plane climbing while the other dove to avoid the potential midair collision.

The ability of criminal groups to exercise this type of power and exercise this type of violence is closely linked to firearms trafficking, said Cecilia Farfan-Mendez, an expert on Mexican organised crime. If we want to see less violence in Mexico, this is a very important conversation.

A notice to pilots classified the area as "national defense airspace," and warned that deadly force may be used against aircraft violating the restriction, standard language for such designations. What they're saying: "All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation," El Paso International Airport posted on Facebook early Wednesday. "Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information."

How it happened: The FAA's abrupt order to close El Paso's airspace for 10 days came after the Pentagon "was unable to meet the FAA's standards to guarantee safety of civilian aircraft," according to a source familiar with the decision. An administration official told Axios that the Pentagon had been responding to drone activity linked to Mexican cartels. There have been conflicting accounts from other officials and media reports. Early indications point to a communications breakdown between the FAA and the Pentagon.

Military personnel at Fort Hood are scheduled to test anti-drone systems that can interfere with satellite navigation signals across a wide area, potentially degrading GPS accuracy for aircraft, drones, and consumer devices. The interruptions, which began February 2, are expected to continue on Friday and Saturday mornings through February 27, with the final round scheduled from February 23 to 27. The affected zone spans major cities, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and extends as far as Oklahoma City.

The government's ability to deal with drones that pose a threat on American soil has been questioned this week after the use of a laser designed to shoot down drones near the border in Texas led to the abrupt closure of the airspace over El Paso, sources familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The details of exactly what happened before the Federal Aviation Administration shut down the busy airport in the Mexican border city on Wednesday aren't entirely clear,

As a child, Michelle Serrano would take trips to Boca Chica with her grandmother. From her home in Brownsville, the drive ran east through Texas wetlands and countryside before landing on miles of beach, stretching far down the Gulf Coast just above the U.S.-Mexico border. They'd spend the day there, swimming, laying out - which didn't cost anything, unlike at South Padre Island to the north. For them, it was the peoples' beach.