What caused the sudden and confusing closure of El Paso's airspace
📖 Full Retelling
Airspace over El Paso was temporarily shut down on Wednesday. The Trump administration blamed the issue on drug cartels flying drones, but multiple reports say the closure was triggered by the Pentagon testing a new anti-drone defense system without giving the FAA enough time to assess its danger to commercial flights. William Brangham discussed more with Juliette Kayyem.
📄 Original Source Content
Airspace over El Paso was temporarily shut down on Wednesday. The Trump administration blamed the issue on drug cartels flying drones, but multiple reports say the closure was triggered by the Pentagon testing a new anti-drone defense system without giving the FAA enough time to assess its danger to commercial flights. William Brangham discussed more with Juliette Kayyem.