'Who’s running this clown show?' Experts raise red flags over DOD airspace whiplash

Editor's Note: A statement by CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem has been added.

The world awakened to a report that, overnight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suddenly closed the airspace around El Paso, Texas as well as a nearby air force base. Reports indicated it would last for ten days and was for national security purposes.

It sparked alarm since the U.S. hasn't closed any U.S. airspace like that for an emergency since Sept. 11, 2001.

NBC News reporter Garrett Haake announced, "an administration official now tells @NBCNews that the closure of El Paso airspace was due to Mexican cartel drones breaching US airspace - which have since been 'disabled' by the US military. FAA says no threat to air travel."

CNN's Pentagon reporter Natasha Bertrand shared his post and commented, "A source with knowledge notes that cartel drones regularly breach US airspace, typically using them for criminal enterprise like delivering supplies, etc. Mostly on the Mexico side of the border, but sometimes they come over to the U.S. side. Needless to say, these incidents don’t prompt 10-day airspace closures."

A member of Congress for the district also stepped in.

"The highly consequential decision by FAA to shut down the El Paso Airport for 10 days is unprecedented and has resulted in significant concern within the community," said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), who serves the district in Congress.

"From what my office and I have been able to gather overnight and early this morning there is no immediate threat to the community or surrounding areas. There was no advance notice provided to my office, the City of El Paso, or anyone involved in airport operations," she continued. "We have urged the FAA to immediately lift the Temporary Flight Restrictions placed on the El Paso area. I will continue to make information public as I learn it."

Ultimately, the airspace restriction was lifted later Wednesday morning.

The disorganization was top of mind for former prosecutor Joyce Vance.

"It gets even stranger. Late-night announcement of 10-day closure. Now lifted. Who is running this clown show?" she asked on X.

"The Pentagon is dangerous," national security analyst Juliette Kayyem opined. "This is totally outrageous and risky. The American public’s safety is not a pawn in [Pete] Hegseth and [Sean] Duffy’s fighting over DOD and DOT control of skies. Hegseth totally at fault here, it seems."

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