Mexico's Sheinbaum Denies Drone Incursion in El Paso Airspace

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum is rejecting U.S. claims that drones from her country entered American airspace near El Paso, Texas.

"There is no information about the use of drones on the border," she said, according to Newsweek.

The Federal Aviation Administration shut down the airspace around El Paso International Airport late Tuesday, grounding flights and signaling the closure could last up to 10 days.

Within hours, the FAA reversed course and lifted the restriction Wednesday, leaving local officials scrambling for answers.

Sheinbaum said her government would investigate "the exact causes of why they closed" the airspace.

The White House, however, pointed directly to cartel-linked drone activity in a statement to Newsweek.

"Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Department of Defense took action to disable the drones," the statement said. "The FAA and DOD have determined there is no threat to commercial travel."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also said the "threat has been neutralized" and flights could resume.

"There's no need for speculation," Sheinbaum said. "We're going to have information, and as always, continue our permanent communication" with the U.S.

In a post on X, the FAA said it had "lifted" its "temporary closure of airspace over El Paso."

"There is no threat to commercial aviation," the agency said. "All flights will resume as normal."

Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat whose district includes El Paso, demanded an explanation for the short-lived shutdown — and for the rapid reversal.

"I believe the FAA owes the community and the country an explanation as to why this happened so suddenly and abruptly, and why it was lifted so suddenly and abruptly," she said.

Escobar added that there was "nothing extraordinary about any drone incursion into the U.S. that I'm aware of."

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican, told Newsmax on Wednesday that life on the border always involves such incursions.

"These daily drone intrusions by these criminal organizations, they happen literally every single day," Gonzales said, describing the situation for residents and law enforcement as routine. "This is Wednesday for us."

U.S. officials have warned for years that criminal organizations are expanding their use of drones for surveillance and smuggling along the southern border.

Sheinbaum also said Mexico's defense and navy secretaries are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Washington with officials from U.S. Northern Command in talks expected to include representatives from several other countries.

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