Maybe they are doing what I suggested a few years ago; one, quick, strike against all known cartel towns. Yes, "innocent" people would be killed in process of eradicating all cartel members and facilities, but 10s of thousands of Americans die EVERY YEAR due to their activities. (but a 10-day closure suggests a single, quick strike is not part of whatever is going on)
Could be anti-Cartel ops. But, to give a little more context here from a military standpoint, our military goes out to train in Combined Arms Exercises, aka CAX1, CAX2, Com-Ex, and Com2-Ex all over the desert regions of the U.S. The Branches get together to basically roll play/war game with each other and with partner forces before long deployments. The airspaces over and around these exercises get closed to public overflights to help prevent spying and potential accidents like aerial collisions from happening. NOTAMs go out for the various affected regions days in advance, with block dates outlined, regardless of whether or not the military is in those areas. The military doesn't post online about these exercises in order to maintain OPSEC. These exercises are planned out for months, sometimes as far out as 18 months in advance. Depends on the size of the deploying force and what the plans are for those deployments. We do this to certify each individual unit for combat related missions while deployed because there's a constant stream of FNGs coming from school, transfers from non combatant commands, newly promoted NCOs and Officers with little to no experience in those new leadership pay-grades, etc.
So, it could be that, as well.
Unless news comes out about an anti-Cartel op going down in that large area, it's probably just a training exercise.
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso on Wednesday morning, abruptly reversing course after grounding flights hours earlier for what officials said would be 10 days.
“There is no threat to commercial aviation,” the agency said on social media. “All flights will resume as normal.”
Based on the NOTAM and current reports for February 11, 2026, here is the breakdown of the situation in El Paso:
The Facts:
Status: Confirmed. The FAA has designated the area "National Defense Airspace."
Duration: 10 Days (Feb 10 – Feb 20, 2026).
Scope: Total ground stop. No commercial, cargo, or medevac flights allowed without explicit federal permission. Deadly force is authorized against violators.
What is the secrecy about? The "National Defense" classification implies an active military or federal law enforcement operation where operational security (OpSec) is critical.
Cartels (Highly Plausible): If intelligence suggests a cartel cell has acquired surface-to-air capabilities (like MANPADS) or high-altitude drones, the FAA would ground all civilian traffic immediately to prevent a casualty event while they neutralize the threat.
Military Operation (Plausible): A large-scale border interdiction or "sweep" operation often requires a "clean sky" to allow military air assets (drones, helos) to operate freely without risking collision or confusion with civilian traffic.
DUMBs (Unlikely): Deep Underground Military Bases typically operate discreetly. Shutting down a major commercial airport for 10 days draws more attention, not less.
Verdict: The "Deadly Force" warning and "No Medevac" clause suggest an imminent, credible threat to aircraft (e.g., loose anti-air weapons) or a massive offensive operation along the border that requires total air dominance.
A Cartel eradication project?
Maybe they are doing what I suggested a few years ago; one, quick, strike against all known cartel towns. Yes, "innocent" people would be killed in process of eradicating all cartel members and facilities, but 10s of thousands of Americans die EVERY YEAR due to their activities. (but a 10-day closure suggests a single, quick strike is not part of whatever is going on)
I wonder what is underway?
Could be a cartel cleaning project or they may anticipate an attack. Most likely by drones.
Ten days. Darnkess.
On LiveNOW from FOX, seeing that the restriction has been lifted.
https://www.livenowfox.com/news/el-paso-airport-closed-flights-grounded-10-days-faa
https://x.com/FAANews/status/2021583720465969421
Could be anti-Cartel ops. But, to give a little more context here from a military standpoint, our military goes out to train in Combined Arms Exercises, aka CAX1, CAX2, Com-Ex, and Com2-Ex all over the desert regions of the U.S. The Branches get together to basically roll play/war game with each other and with partner forces before long deployments. The airspaces over and around these exercises get closed to public overflights to help prevent spying and potential accidents like aerial collisions from happening. NOTAMs go out for the various affected regions days in advance, with block dates outlined, regardless of whether or not the military is in those areas. The military doesn't post online about these exercises in order to maintain OPSEC. These exercises are planned out for months, sometimes as far out as 18 months in advance. Depends on the size of the deploying force and what the plans are for those deployments. We do this to certify each individual unit for combat related missions while deployed because there's a constant stream of FNGs coming from school, transfers from non combatant commands, newly promoted NCOs and Officers with little to no experience in those new leadership pay-grades, etc.
So, it could be that, as well.
Unless news comes out about an anti-Cartel op going down in that large area, it's probably just a training exercise.
Just heard it was lifted
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso on Wednesday morning, abruptly reversing course after grounding flights hours earlier for what officials said would be 10 days.
“There is no threat to commercial aviation,” the agency said on social media. “All flights will resume as normal.”
Gemini Pro said:
Based on the NOTAM and current reports for February 11, 2026, here is the breakdown of the situation in El Paso:
The Facts:
Status: Confirmed. The FAA has designated the area "National Defense Airspace."
Duration: 10 Days (Feb 10 – Feb 20, 2026).
Scope: Total ground stop. No commercial, cargo, or medevac flights allowed without explicit federal permission. Deadly force is authorized against violators.
What is the secrecy about? The "National Defense" classification implies an active military or federal law enforcement operation where operational security (OpSec) is critical.
Cartels (Highly Plausible): If intelligence suggests a cartel cell has acquired surface-to-air capabilities (like MANPADS) or high-altitude drones, the FAA would ground all civilian traffic immediately to prevent a casualty event while they neutralize the threat.
Military Operation (Plausible): A large-scale border interdiction or "sweep" operation often requires a "clean sky" to allow military air assets (drones, helos) to operate freely without risking collision or confusion with civilian traffic.
DUMBs (Unlikely): Deep Underground Military Bases typically operate discreetly. Shutting down a major commercial airport for 10 days draws more attention, not less.
Verdict: The "Deadly Force" warning and "No Medevac" clause suggest an imminent, credible threat to aircraft (e.g., loose anti-air weapons) or a massive offensive operation along the border that requires total air dominance.
I love the gap between El paso and the rest of the state to the west. Admiral ackbar knows what that is.