FAA Restricts Texas Airspace After Pentagon’s Alleged Drone Downing

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Feb. 26 it imposed temporary flight restrictions in the airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas, due to what it called “special security reasons.”

The flight restrictions, issued through a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), prohibit pilots from flying within the designated area and will be in effect until June 24.

The aviation regulator did not provide an explanation about the security concerns or circumstances that prompted the temporary closure around Fort Hancock.

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said the NOTAM came after the Pentagon “reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.”

“We said MONTHS ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, [Department of Homeland Security] and the FAA was a short-sighted idea,” the House Committee said in a statement shared to X. “Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence.”

In a joint statement, the Department of War, CBP, and the FAA said the incident occurred after it detected “a seemingly threatening” drone flying within military airspace.

The Pentagon then deployed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate the potential threat, according to the statement provided to The Epoch Times via email.

The agencies did not specify the exact location of the incident or the drone’s origin, but said they will enhance cooperation and communication to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“The engagement took place far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity,” the agencies said in the statement.

The agencies said they have been collaborating “in an unprecedented fashion” to counter drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations along the U.S.–Mexico border under the direction of President Donald Trump.

“The bottom line is the Trump Administration is doing more to secure the border and crack down on cartels than any administration in history,” they stated.

Earlier this month, the FAA issued temporary flight restrictions at El Paso International Airport in Texas, citing special security reasons. The restrictions were initially scheduled to remain in effect through Feb. 21 but were lifted just hours after being imposed.

A White House official told The Epoch Times by email that Mexican cartel-operated drones had breached U.S. airspace and that the Department of War took action to disable them. Authorities subsequently determined there was no threat to commercial aviation, according to the official.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.