El Paso

Aug 17, 2010
3,987
517
113
Gonna guess aliens, or Epstein is visiting from Israel.

From CBS news...

The Federal Aviation Administration says it has halted all flights into and out of El Paso until very late on Feb. 20 for what it calls "special security reasons." There's been no indication of what those reasons are.

The agency said the airspace it closed is being classified as "national defense airspace" and the "government may use deadly force" against an airborne aircraft if it's "determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat."

It also warned that pilots who don't comply with the restrictions "may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel" and could be hit with civil penalties and lose their pilot's licenses, and might have criminal charges brought against them.

The restrictions apply to flights below 18,000 feet so planes at cruising attitude can continue over El Paso.

El Paso International Airport issued an advisory on social media saying, "All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The FAA has issued a flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information."

The airport said in another statement that the FAA move was made "on short notice" and also was also in effect for "our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM."
 
Sep 7, 2025
433
501
63
I have a coworker that is supposed to fly there today. Gonna have to get creative to get there now. Wonder if it could be cartel related given the proximity to the bad hombres of the region ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeans_15

SuperBigFan69

All-Conference
Apr 17, 2021
4,329
3,934
113
I have a coworker that is supposed to fly there today. Gonna have to get creative to get there now. Wonder if it could be cartel related given the proximity to the bad hombres of the region ?
It is...it is going to be a bunch of explosions today.
 
Aug 18, 2016
16,624
10,899
113
The 18,000 foot cruising altitude leads me to believe they are targeting unpressurised propeller planes or any small private aircraft originating a flight plan a short distance away from El Paso.

I would venture to say the odds are better than 60/40 there will be an aircraft shot down though. From my experience along the border in my previous life in the USAF, the planes originating out of Mexico rarely had a flight plan, and rarely communicated with any ground control. They may not even know about this restriction, and even if they do they may not even care or they believe they can get in and out before the US can deploy.
 
Jun 7, 2017
1,930
989
113
 

inWV

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2007
14,188
4,836
91
Politico and CNN both reporting that the closure was due poor communications about drone tests between FAA and DoD
 

HuskerInCarolina

All-American
Dec 2, 2024
3,489
5,103
112
So they had to shut down the whole air space for ten days? And then an hour or two later it’s suddenly A-okay?
allegedly they "disabled" the drones and that was the end of the threat. whatever that means.


 
  • Like
Reactions: dinglefritz

inWV

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2007
14,188
4,836
91
allegedly they "disabled" the drones and that was the end of the threat. whatever that means.


Yahoo - Officials attribute this airspace shutdown to "Mexican Cartel Drones;" "But two unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times that the temporary shutdown was prompted by a test of anti-drone technology at nearby Fort Bliss.
Bloomberg - "The FAA made the decision in response to drones that the US Defense Department is flying in the area as part of an operation against Mexican drug cartels, according to people familiar with the matter," Bloomberg reported. "One of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public information, said the drones are operating outside of normal flight paths and that the FAA is unable to predict where they might be flying."
 
  • Like
Reactions: HuskerInCarolina

HuskerInCarolina

All-American
Dec 2, 2024
3,489
5,103
112
Officials attribute this airspace shutdown to "Mexican Cartel Drones;" "But two unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times that the temporary shutdown was prompted by a test of anti-drone technology at nearby Fort Bliss.

as the old saying goes: "there's no truth in the news and no news in the truth." A bunch of he said she said we said they said and nobody will ever know what's real and what's not.

 

inWV

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2007
14,188
4,836
91
as the old saying goes: "there's no truth in the news and no news in the truth." A bunch of he said she said we said they said and nobody will ever know what's real and what's not.

One source is Sean Duffy. The others are sources within DOD and Transportation. They are saying different things. I can throw up my hands and say who's to believe, or I can go with reports from more than one journalistic outlet, each having verified sourcing.
One blames the cartels, the other points to interdepartmental communication problems that are getting in way of surveilling the cartels. One casts blame, the other explains.
 

HuskerInCarolina

All-American
Dec 2, 2024
3,489
5,103
112
One source is Sean Duffy. The others are sources within DOD and Transportation. They are saying different things. I can throw up my hands and say who's to believe, or I can go with reports from more than one journalistic outlet, each having verified sourcing.
One blames the cartels, the other points to interdepartmental communication problems that are getting in way of surveilling the cartels. One casts blame, the other explains.
You can view it as blame, but its still an explanation.

so it then comes down to which explanation is the truth? or neither?
Because I'm sure an unnamed source has never lied. Just like a political mouthpiece has never lied either.
 

4.6.3

Senior
Jun 4, 2022
876
969
93
The 18,000 foot cruising altitude leads me to believe they are targeting unpressurised propeller planes or any small private aircraft originating a flight plan a short distance away from El Paso.

I would venture to say the odds are better than 60/40 there will be an aircraft shot down though. From my experience along the border in my previous life in the USAF, the planes originating out of Mexico rarely had a flight plan, and rarely communicated with any ground control. They may not even know about this restriction, and even if they do they may not even care or they believe they can get in and out before the US can deploy.
They will be shooting down the Narco drones soon
 

4.6.3

Senior
Jun 4, 2022
876
969
93
You can view it as blame, but its still an explanation.

so it then comes down to which explanation is the truth? or neither?
Because I'm sure an unnamed source has never lied. Just like a political mouthpiece has never lied either.
I wonder what the guy thinks about Operation Fast and Furious? But as usual he won’t reply, because he can’t think of a way to spin it into his Daddy Trump being at fault
 

inWV

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2007
14,188
4,836
91
You can view it as blame, but its still an explanation.

so it then comes down to which explanation is the truth? or neither?
Because I'm sure an unnamed source has never lied. Just like a political mouthpiece has never lied either.
Unnamed sources, plural. And if I have to pick between a handful of govt employees speaking on background to reporters vs. a guy who cut his teeth as a reality TV star, I'd put a fair amount of cash on the govt employees.
 

HuskerInCarolina

All-American
Dec 2, 2024
3,489
5,103
112
Unnamed sources, plural. And if I have to pick between a handful of govt employees speaking on background to reporters vs. a guy who cut his teeth as a reality TV star, I'd put a fair amount of cash on the govt employees.
two. I am sure 2 people have never lied.
 
Aug 18, 2016
16,624
10,899
113
Unnamed sources, plural. And if I have to pick between a handful of govt employees speaking on background to reporters vs. a guy who cut his teeth as a reality TV star, I'd put a fair amount of cash on the govt employees.
Unnamed sources are not verified as you stated earlier. Also, even if partially true, using people who are talking out of school about things they aren't supposed to be talking about. Nothing more trustworthy than that. As a person with a history of dealing with classified operations including TS/SCI material. Leaking that info could be considered treasonous.
 

inWV

All-Conference
Sep 22, 2007
14,188
4,836
91
Unnamed sources are not verified as you stated earlier. Also, even if partially true, using people who are talking out of school about things they aren't supposed to be talking about. Nothing more trustworthy than that. As a person with a history of dealing with classified operations including TS/SCI material. Leaking that info could be considered treasonous.
Party balloons are a national security issue.

1770833356710.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: bthusker23
Aug 18, 2016
16,624
10,899
113
Party balloons are a national security issue.

View attachment 1184130
Once again. My comment to you was about unnamed sources being verified. And trusting people that are supposed to be keeping confidential information confidential as an accurate source.

Secondly the only actual and verified person on that post is a reporter from CBS news. So unnamed people told her something.
 

o_Balfor

Senior
May 31, 2022
460
402
63
Unnamed sources, plural. And if I have to pick between a handful of govt employees speaking on background to reporters vs. a guy who cut his teeth as a reality TV star, I'd put a fair amount of cash on the govt employees.
Deer lowered. If I had to guess, I would suspect is was the communication issue, but unnamed sources have been completely unreliable for years. They have been false and political in nature.
 

orclover11

Senior
Dec 1, 2014
1,137
805
113
They closed the airspace around El Paso for ten days.
What’s going on there?
So the "possibility" of extra terrestrial UFOs was "created" by the U.S government because too many World War II veterans were coming together during their aging years and scraping up information about secret cold war weapons and projects, something which was very dangerous during an arms race. This board is much worse at it than a bunch of former war veterans( I know there are veterans on this board but participation in world war II was an order of a magnitude greater than more recent wars, so the ability and connections of that generation were much greater). but I think the shoe still fits, a bunch of bored old guys with too much time on their hands digging for something interesting and maybe even little of the importance that they used to have.
 
Aug 18, 2016
16,624
10,899
113
So the "possibility" of extra terrestrial UFOs was "created" by the U.S government because too many World War II veterans were coming together during their aging years and scraping up information about secret cold war weapons and projects, something which was very dangerous during an arms race. This board is much worse at it than a bunch of former war veterans( I know there are veterans on this board but participation in world war II was an order of a magnitude greater than more recent wars, so the ability and connections of that generation were much greater). but I think the shoe still fits, a bunch of bored old guys with too much time on their hands digging for something interesting and maybe even little of the importance that they used to have.
It’s fair to debate government secrecy and UFO theories. But when the argument turns into brushing off an entire generation of veterans with a flippant label. Pretty disrespectful
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,355
12,784
78
They will be shooting down the Narco drones soon
Already are. I suspect the cartels have figured out that a safer route for their drug drones is from Juarez to ElPaso due to the fear of shooting them down over populated areas.
 

Neb79

Junior
Dec 1, 2024
322
350
58
What they left out of that report was that the large helium filled “party balloon” was carrying a package filled with cocaine.
It was left out because that is absolute ********. Can’t find any news source claiming this. All I can find is an incident from 7-8 years ago. There is plenty of reasons to justify going after illegal aliens and the drug trade but posting drivel speculation from podcasts is not the way to do it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dinglefritz

SuperBigFan69

All-Conference
Apr 17, 2021
4,329
3,934
113
I am not a drug dealer but if I was I would want to use the safest most inconspicuous delivery methods possible.

Drones do not see like the most inconspicuous way. Now, it could serve as a great distraction.