The Situation in Mexico

[Puma]

Will the Peruvian government invade the Mexican embassy?​

Betsy Chávez, former prime minister of Peru during the Pedro Castillo administration, is currently in the Mexican embassy in Lima, where she requested and was granted political asylum on November 3, 2025. This situation sparked a diplomatic crisis between Peru and Mexico, as the Peruvian government broke off diplomatic relations with Mexico, declaring the Mexican ambassador persona non grata and refusing to grant Chavez the safe conduct necessary to leave the country.

Chávez faces trial for the alleged crimes of rebellion, conspiracy, and abuse of authority related to her role in an alleged self-coup perpetrated by Pedro Castillo on December 7, 2022. She was arrested in June 2023, and in September 2025, the Constitutional Court overturned her pretrial detention, ordering her immediate release, which led her to seek political asylum at the Mexican Embassy.

On November 21, 2025, the Peruvian judiciary issued a 5-month preventive detention order against her, along with an Interpol red notice for his international arrest.

This order gave rise to speculation that the Peruvian government would order the invasion of the Mexican Embassy, as happened in Ecuador on April 5, 2024, when a police and military operation violated the diplomatic inviolability established in the 1961 Vienna Convention. This event was described as an "invasion" by the Mexican government and the international community. This action was taken to capture former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who had been sheltering in the diplomatic headquarters since December 2023.

Given the precedent, Colombian President Gustavo Petro posted on X
​

If Peru attacks the Mexican embassy, Colombia will withdraw its embassy.​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1992033399595262064

The president of Peru's Council of Ministers, Ernesto Álvarez, denied on Thursday that his country could storm the Mexican embassy in Lima to arrest former Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.

​

 

[Puma]

This order gave rise to speculation that the Peruvian government would order the invasion of the Mexican Embassy, as happened in Ecuador on April 5, 2024, when a police and military operation violated the diplomatic inviolability established in the 1961 Vienna Convention.

Here we go. Peruvian President José Jerí said that political asylum has been misused, so he is considering entering the Mexican Embassy in Lima to capture Betssy Chávez.​

Peru's de facto president, José Jerí, did not rule out storming the Mexican embassy, where former prime minister Betssy Chávez is taking refuge, warning: "I am not limiting myself. If we have to enter the Mexican embassy, we will do so."

Jerí was not elected by popular vote to assume the presidency; he was president of Congress and was appointed to head the executive branch after the dismissal of de facto president Dina Boluarte on October 10.

Earlier this month, Peru broke off relations after learning that Mexico had granted asylum to Chávez.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1992643931734216713

There will be another invasion of the Mexican Embassy, this time in Peru, with increased security outside the consulate due to the risk of Betssy Chávez escaping. While the International Criminal Court has not sanctioned Ecuador, another violation of Mexican sovereignty is about to take place.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1992742684243767608

 

[Puma]

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reappeared publicly to announce his book "Grandeza" (Greatness. López Obrador has written 21 books, including this one, ranging from political essays to his experience as president of Mexico.) . The former president specified that he will not tour the country to promote it because he is not a caudillo and "we must not overshadow the president," Claudia Sheinbaum, whom he asked to support after the attempted soft coup in November, which was also promoted by foreign interests.​

AMLO stressed that he would only take to the streets for three reasons:

● "if they attack democracy"
● to defend Claudia Sheinbaum's presidency.
● If there are attempts at a coup d'état.

AMLO said, "If they harass her, then yes, but I don't think that will happen; and to defend Mexico's sovereignty, because our country is free, independent, sovereign, we are not a colony of any foreign country."

Andrés Manuel López Obrador continues to enjoy very high popularity in Mexico, even after concluding his presidential term on October 1, 2024. According to recent polls from November 2025, his approval rating stands at around 80% a historic level that exceeds that of most of his predecessors at the end of their six-year terms and withstands campaigns against him. This figure is based on measurements by firms such as Morning Consult and Oraculus, which during his administration consistently ranked him as one of the most approved leaders in the world.

AMLO's reappearance marks a game changer for the opposition and factions hoping to erode Sheinbaum's popularity. AMLO is popular not only among older adults (65+) but also among young people under 34, so it is certain that movements hijacked by the right, such as Gen Z Mexico, will not be as successful as expected. They will have to come up with other strategies, because it is clear that the right cannot win legally at the polls.
​

 

[Puma]

Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly expressed support for Venezuela, particularly in defending its sovereignty against perceived U.S. aggression under the Trump administration. This aligns with Mexico's longstanding foreign policy of non-intervention and diplomatic ties with the Nicolás Maduro government.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995649014402896328

According to political analysts, Obrador's latest message was directed at three actors:

1. Trump's interventionism and the international right wing
2. The Mexican opposition seeking a soft coup
3. Oligarchic groups, mainly Salinas Pliego.

This support for Obradorism may have served as the basis for Sheinbaum's position on the situation in Venezuela.​

 

[Puma]

Latin America facing the storm​

Alexander Duguin

Trump is threatening to invade Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico simultaneously under the pretext of fighting drug cartels. It seems he is starting his own war. If he had chosen Canada and Greenland as his targets, he would have deserved our full support. It would have been a blow to globalism. But now he is merely following the dictates of pure imperialism, a direct intervention.

The attack on countries that are clearly leaning toward multipolarity is a blow against us, against humanity in general.

Israel attacked Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and Syria. And the Islamic world remained silent, allowing this to happen.

Now the United States is preparing to invade three countries of Latin American civilization at once. If they act according to the principle of "every man for himself," this will reinforce the hegemony of the West for some time to come.

The countries of Latin America must unite and issue an ultimatum to the United States. Now, all together, all the BRICS countries, we must show that we are the global majority.

In a reply to Alexander user Sony Thang wrote about the unity that Latin America needs.

If Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico formed a military alliance, the Western hemisphere would change overnight.

Not because three nations suddenly became stronger,

But because the illusion of American inevitability would be shattered.

The greatest weapon the United States ever built was not the aircraft carrier. It was the belief that resistance is futile.

An alliance like the one you describe would do what the Arab world never did in Gaza. It would replace outrage with organization.

It would turn moral anger into strategic coordination. It would confront power with power instead of grief with statements.

Washington fears that more than any missile.Because the moment Latin America stands as a bloc, the Monroe Doctrine dies. The era of unilateral U.S. control collapses. The hemisphere stops being America’s private hunting ground and becomes a political arena where sovereignty finally has teeth.

And yes, if China and Russia supply them with capital, technology, intelligence, and deterrence capabilities, the calculation changes completely. Not because Beijing or Moscow want a war. But because they understand a truth the Arab world forgot:

The only thing that restrains empire is the cost of attacking its opponents. Gaza was destroyed because the price of destroying it was zero. Iraq was invaded because the cost was manageable.Libya fell because no one would raise the stakes.

But Venezuela survived because China, Russia, Iran, and the Global South made sure the cost of regime change was not cheap. Even with sanctions, even with blockades, even with sabotage, Washington did not get the victory it expected.

Now imagine that multiplied across a hemisphere. A Latin American alliance with serious backing would do more than defend borders. It would expose something the United States cannot emotionally tolerate:

Sovereignty. Coordination. Partnerships that do not depend on American permission. That is what terrifies Washington.

Not socialism.
Not trafficking.
Not rhetoric.
Not elections.

Just the sight of former subjects becoming equals. If Russia and China help build that, it is not because they want conflict. It is because they recognize an emerging world where the United States no longer decides which nations are allowed to be independent.

And once that world appears, even for a moment, it never disappears again.

 

[Puma]

Trump threatens Mexico with tariffs for failing to deliver water​

Trump claims that Mexico owes more than 800,000 acre-feet of water for failing to comply with the treaty over the past five years, which is severely affecting crops and livestock in Texas. He demands that at least 200,000 acre-feet be released by December 31, 2025, with the remainder to follow "soon thereafter." If this is not complied with, he authorizes 5% tariffs, with the warning that "the longer Mexico delays in releasing the water, the more our farmers will suffer."

The 1944 Water Treaty was signed during World War II and obliges Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water annually from six tributaries of the Rio Grande to the US. In exchange, the US delivers water from the Colorado River to Mexico. Compliance is measured in five-year cycles to accommodate climatic variations. Texas depends on this water to irrigate some 300,000 acres of farmland in the Rio Grande Valley,.

Mexico has accumulated a deficit of more than 800,000 acre-feet since 2020 due to extreme droughts in Chihuahua and Coahuila, which have reduced Mexican river flows. In November 2025, Mexico delivered only a fraction of what was required, and is expected to fail to meet the 2020-2025 cycle.

Mexico faces a dilemma: releasing water could worsen its own water crisis (droughts are affecting millions in the north), but 5% tariffs would impact key exports such as cars and agricultural products.
​

● is Trump's demand for water a coincidence after Mexico's water law was reformed?

Mexico recently passed the National Water Law, which reforms the 1992 law, establishing water as a human right and strategic asset, seeking public and community control, and prohibiting its privatization and black market trade.

The main objective of this reform is a paradigm shift, the goal being to stop viewing water as just another commodity and start recognizing it as a strategic asset. The 1992 law (Neoliberal period) turned water into a commodity and opened the door for concessions to be sold or rented between individuals, creating a black market that leads to speculation, hoarding, and, of course, waste.

The new law prohibits the sale of concessions, and the State seeks to regain control over the resource. The idea is very simple: water should be allocated according to the country's strategic needs, not according to how much an individual or company can pay. This phrase sums up the new philosophy perfectly, breaking completely with the logic of speculation. Water that is not used for the purpose for which it was concessioned returns to the hands of the nation to be reallocated, not to be sold on the black market.

This is why the big hoarders and companies are upset: their multimillion-dollar water sales business is over. Among these hoarders is the Mexican-American LeBarón family, which in the past accepted Donald Trump's offer to send the US military to Mexico to "wipe organized crime off the face of the earth."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1191708046126399488

The LeBaron family is one of the main mobilizers and manipulators of farmers protesting against Sheinbaum's reform.

On the corporate side, Coca-Cola is affected by and involved in Mexico's National Water Law. The company has permits to extract millions of cubic meters of water annually from aquifers in various regions, which is a source of controversy, especially in areas with water stress.​

The transnational corporation Coca-Cola monopolizes one of the most important resources for human life in Mexico: water. Data from CONAGUA show that the US-based soft drink company has permission to extract 28.2 million cubic meters of water per year. The aquifers it exploits are located in Yucatán, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, Querétaro, Campeche, and the State of Mexico. Contralinea​

● Trump's National Security Strategy: A New Monroe Doctrine

Last week Trump released his "National Security Strategy." The modern NSS is, to a large extent, the Monroe Doctrine adapted to the 21st century:

●Same central idea: the Western Hemisphere is the natural and priority zone of influence for the US.

●Same objectives: prevent rival powers (formerly Europe, now mainly China and Russia) from having a dominant political-military or economic presence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For Latam, this NSS signifies a return to "modern" interventionism: fewer direct occupations, more economic pressure, selective military action, and rewards for allies.

According to political analyst Viridiana Rios, Trump's security strategy spells bad news for Mexico.​

The document states that the United States will use all its economic and political power to open up business opportunities for its companies and ensure its dominance in Latin American markets, including by obtaining the majority of public contracts. In dependent countries such as Mexico, Trump goes further and orders his diplomatic corps to demand exclusive contracts for US firms.​

It also points out that the United States will seek to sell us energy as an instrument of control to "project its power" when it deems necessary. Furthermore, while recognizing the need for nearshoring, it explicitly states that it will use its intelligence service to prevent non-US entrepreneurs from developing advanced technology or high-value products, considering this a threat to its prosperity.​

In short, the United States seeks to have as few Mexican entrepreneurs as possible, except for those engaged in manufacturing with such low added value that they are of no interest to US companies.​

I have summarized the most important elements, but the question remains: is Trump's demand for water a coincidence after Mexico's water law was reformed?

​

 

[Puma]

Is Mexico next?​

Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, by US forces President Donald Trump mentioned Mexico in an Interview with Fox News.

Trump stated that although the operation in Venezuela was not a direct message to Mexico or to President Claudia Sheinbaum, he insisted that drug cartels control Mexico and that "we have to do something with Mexico" regarding drug trafficking.
​

His key words include:

"She’s not running Mexico. The cartels are running Mexico. And we could be politically correct and be nice and say, ‘Oh yes, she is.’ No, no. She’s very frightened of the cartels.”

"We have lost hundreds of thousands of people to drugs coming across the southern border... We are going to have to do something about Mexico."

Are Trump's words not disrespectful to Sheinbaum, but above all to Mexico's sovereignty?

When Trump dares to say that Mexico cannot govern itself, he is testing how far he can be disrespectful. Mexico is not a colony, Mexico is not a failed state, and Mexico does not need permission to exist, to make decisions, or to govern itself.

He spoke of Mexico as if it were a territory under supervision, as if democracy were optional, as if President Claudia Sheinbaum did not have a 70% approval rating and did not represent an entire country. He spoke of her as an employee incapable of running a country, to whom he could say, "You're fired!"

What the hell!

Mexicans can criticize their government, demand change, march, vote, and protest. But there is a line that cannot be crossed: being treated by outsiders as incapable of deciding their own destiny.

Demanding international cooperation is not the same as accepting humiliation. Fighting crime is not the same as surrendering sovereignty. And regional security is not built with threats, but with mutual respect.

Trump is wrong, very, very wrong.
​

 

[Puma]

On January 9, 2026, in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump stated:​

We've knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico — it's very, very sad to watch and see what has happened to that country.

This statement was interpreted as a direct threat of military ground operations on Mexican territory.

In fact, the mass media took it upon themselves to widely spread the idea of an imminent attack. Joaquin Lopez Doriga, a renowned communicator in Mexico, called for national unity through his tv program. He said "it is not about Morena, it is about Mexico"

This prompted an immediate response from Sheinbaum, who said she would seek to strengthen communication with the US (even speaking directly with Trump or Marco Rubio if necessary) to avoid escalation, although she downplayed it as part of Trump's communication "style."

She said that Mexico categorically rejects any unilateral military intervention in its territory, considering it a violation of sovereignty and international law.​

"We have an agreement, an understanding on the issue of security that we are certainly strengthening. We consider the statements made by the president in recent days to be part of his way of communicating, but in any case, yesterday I asked Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente to make direct contact with the Secretary of State and, if necessary, to speak with President Trump to strengthen coordination."​

Democratic lawmakers sent a Letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing their categorical rejection of any unilateral military action on Mexican territory. They described it as "disastrous" and warned that it would seriously jeopardize bilateral cooperation on security, trade, and regional stability.​

Any unilateral U.S. military action inside Mexico without Mexico’s consent would destroy trust, eviscerate cooperation with Mexican authorities, and make it harder to keep drugs out of the communities we represent.​

 

[Puma]

Sheinbaum affirmed that Mexico will continue to show solidarity with Cuba, including oil shipments for humanitarian reasons, and that assistance will not stop. She clarified that she has neither confirmed nor denied total suspensions, but rather that Pemex makes operational decisions (sometimes shipments are sent, sometimes not, as has historically been the case)

This is happening under pressure from Donald Trump's administration, which has hardened its stance against the Cuban regime, including threats of "zero" oil or money for the island following events such as the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

Sheinbaum's announcement was met with strong criticism from Republican congressmen such as Carlos A. Giménez and María Elvira Salazar. They have described Sheinbaum's decision as "pathetic," accusing her of prioritizing relations with the Cuban regime over trade with the US, and have warned that this will weigh heavily on future USMCA negotiations. Trump has made general threats against support for Cuba, but Sheinbaum has mentioned that Mexico has a history of solidarity with Cuba in the face of the US economic blockade.

In Cuba, there have recently been several demonstrations of support for the regime, mainly through marches and demonstrations organized by the government in response to tensions with the United States. The most recent was the torchlight march.

On January 27 and 28, thousands of people, mostly young people, marched in Havana with torches against the "threats" from the US. President Miguel Díaz-Canel personally led the march, alongside his wife Lis Cuesta.

José Martí and Fidel Castro were commemorated with anti-imperialist slogans and calls for the defense of sovereignty.
​

USA: Cuba is going to fall any day....
Cuba yesterday in support of Fidel Castro, José Martí, and Cuban pride.
Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome!!!​

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016559777846026735

At a time when Cuba is under intense pressure and there is a campaign in Miami calling for its annexation, thousands of young people take to the streets of Havana to support the independence and sovereignty of their homeland

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016339910865592414

​

 

[Puma]

Mexico is plotting to invade the US, says book promoted by Trump​

President Donald Trump promoted a new book on social media that warns of "an invisible coup" against the United States organized by the Mexican government and Morena by "using mass migration as a political weapon to influence elections and undermine national security."

Trump says a multitude of things every day on social media, and so far he has not repeated his invitation to his millions of followers to buy Peter Schweizer's book The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, but his endorsement has already helped it reach number 8 on Amazon's best-selling nonfiction books list.

The book by the right-wing author, a partner of former political strategist and influential conservative commentator Stephen Bannon—in fact, yesterday he was on his show War Room, with more than a million followers—could fuel the anti-immigrant narrative, particularly against Mexicans and the Mexican government.

Schweizer, whose previous book on Hillary Clinton made the New York Times bestseller list, is promoting his work on conservative national media programs where he repeats his conspiracy theory that the Mexican government and elites in the United States are using immigrants in this country as a secret weapon to change demographics and thereby transform American society and politics.

"Mexico has 53 consulates in the United States, while the United Kingdom and China have 6 and 7, respectively. As I argue in the book, consular officials are busy supporting political activities (in the U.S.), trying to influence the presidential elections," Schweizer said on CBS News' Takeout interview program with Major Garrett. "I think it's inappropriate for the Mexican government and its diplomats to be involved in this kind of political activity within the United States."

Mexico refutes false news reports in the US media based on conspiracy theories by far-right author Peter Schweizer, who claims that Mexico's consular network is being used to interfere politically in US internal affairs.

The Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release:​

Mexican consulates in the United States provide assistance and permanently protect the rights of more than 30 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans who request various consular services in that country. All in strict compliance with local laws.​

The Mexican consular network also served more than 14 million U.S. citizens who traveled, studied, or invested in Mexico in 2025.​

​

 

[Puma]

Trump has labeled the Cuban regime a threat and imposed sanctions to isolate it economically. He declared a national emergency regarding Cuba due to its alignment with hostile actors (Rusia, China, Irán) and terrorist groups (Hamas, Hezbollah). He signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba.

Trump had previously stated, "Cuba is going to fall very soon. It is a nation that is really on the verge of collapse. They used to get money from Venezuela, and now they will no longer receive oil."

This is a direct message to the Mexican government, which has provided Cuba with oil for humanitarian reasons.

At the morning conference, Sheinbaum was asked: if Trump's tariffs do affect countries that send oil to Cuba, would you stop doing so?

Sheinbaum said: Let's wait and see. Less than 1 percent of Mexico's production has been sent to Cuba. What does humanitarian aid mean? Oil in Mexico is used for vehicles and power plants. Without it, a humanitarian situation arises. That is what we want to convey to the US government. That this is very important. That is why I gave instructions to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Of course, we do not want to risk more tariffs on the Mexican people, we simply want to seek diplomatic channels. That will always be our position.

Sheinbaum is being pressured by the opposition to immediately comply with Trump's orders.

Does Trump care about what happens to Cubans? Probably not.
​

CHINA demanded that the US immediately lift the "blockade and sanctions" against Cuba:
"We urge the United States to stop depriving the Cuban people of their rights to subsistence and development, to cease undermining regional peace and stability."​

https://twitter.com/x/status/2017232404734239217

​

 

[Nienna]

CHINA demanded that the US immediately lift the "blockade and sanctions" against Cuba:
"We urge the United States to stop depriving the Cuban people of their rights to subsistence and development, to cease undermining regional peace and stability."

Considering the article on SOTT:

Geopolitics and the Weaponizing of the periodic table

I've been sitting on this one for a while now. Collecting data points that most people missed because they were too busy arguing about tariffs and TikTok bans. But the trade war is heating up again I think. Inevitably I have to add. And when it...

www.sott.net

I think that Trump and the Deep State may just want to listen to what China is saying because China can really make things difficult for the Deep State and other war mongers.

According to that article, China is the one who holds all of the cards (or so I think).

 

[Pat]

Considering the article on SOTT:

Geopolitics and the Weaponizing of the periodic table

I've been sitting on this one for a while now. Collecting data points that most people missed because they were too busy arguing about tariffs and TikTok bans. But the trade war is heating up again I think. Inevitably I have to add. And when it...

www.sott.net

I think that Trump and the Deep State may just want to listen to what China is saying because China can really make things difficult for the Deep State and other war mongers.

According to that article, China is the one who holds all of the cards (or so I think).

Great article on SOTT, easy to comprehend. Very informative. There is a war on wars components. US seems to be loosing and the population is not aware of it.

I realise that very little was taught at school in order to comprehend what is going on in the world. It is said in the article that 95% of the population wouldn't know or comprehend what is going on... it's a game of chess. Beautifully orchestrated I would add.
.
As Cs said: " It is fun to see how much I can access "

 

[Puma]

No more oil for Cuba​

Sheinbaum gave in to pressure from Trump and stopped sending oil to Cuba. Sheinbaum said she would work to find diplomatic solutions.

Since late January and confirmed in February, Pemex halted shipments of crude oil and refined products to Cuba due to Donald Trump's executive order. Sheinbaum acknowledged that she paused shipments so as not to expose the country to sanctions that would affect the economy, mainly via USMCA.

The Mexican government and Pemex clarified that there is an "open" contract in place since 2023 for oil sales to Cuba and that it is not a gift, as claimed by the opposition, but rather a commercial transaction. Sales in 2025 totaled around $496 million, representing less than 1% of Mexican production.

Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico will send humanitarian aid, mainly food, basic supplies, and possibly other products to Cuba by Monday, February 9. This is presented as solidarity to mitigate the energy and food crisis on the island, without directly involving oil. Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente, Secretary Marco Rubio, and other U.S. officials are working to find a way to resume fuel shipments without triggering tariffs, such as classifying part of it as humanitarian aid or mechanisms that avoid retaliation.

Cuba could run out of fuel between mid-February and the end of February if supplies do not arrive. The UN has warned of a possible "humanitarian collapse."

Will diplomacy work?

​

 

[Ca.]

Recent Cartel activities in El Paso, TX. by the New York Times and a Video By Fox News below

Officials Claim Drone Incursion Led to Shutdown of El Paso Airport

The secretary of transportation said the military had neutralized a drug cartel drone. Two officials said testing of counter-drone technology prompted the closure. The F.A.A. initially said it would last 10 days.

www.nytimes.com

Feb. 11, 2026Updated 4:18 p.m. ET
The secretary of transportation said the military had neutralized a drug cartel drone. Two officials said testing of counter-drone technology prompted the closure. The F.A.A. initially said it would last 10 days.

Here’s the latest.​

Officials on Wednesday offered conflicting explanations for a temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, after the Federal Aviation Administration rescinded an order issued hours earlier to ground flights for 10 days.

Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, and officials from the White House and the Pentagon said Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace, prompting the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso. But two people briefed by Trump administration officials said the shutdown was prompted by the Defense Department’s use of new counter-drone technology and concerns about the risks it could pose to other aircraft in the area.

Initially, the agency cited “special security reasons” late Tuesday night, halting all flights to and from El Paso International Airport for 10 days and isolating a major American metropolitan area from air travel. The closure, which appeared to surprise state and local officials, went into effect at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday and was lifted a little before 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

“There is no threat to commercial aviation,” the agency said on social media. “All flights will resume as normal.”

Representative Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat, pushed back on the drone explanation given by Trump administration officials, saying at a news conference it was “not the information that we in Congress have been told.”

She added: “There was not a threat, which is why the F.A.A. lifted this restriction so quickly. The information coming from the administration does not add up.”

Renard Johnson, the mayor of El Paso, said at a news conference that many local officials remained unclear why the agency took such a drastic action, and that the “failure to communicate is unacceptable.” He said it resulted in a series of chaotic events around El Paso, including medical evacuation flights forced to divert to Las Cruces, N.M., a city about 45 miles to the northwest.

“This unnecessary decision has caused chaos and confusion in the El Paso community,” Mr. Johnson said. “I want to be very, very clear that this should’ve never happened. You cannot restrict air space over a major city without coordinating with the city, the airport, the hospitals, the community leadership.”

Here’s what else to know:

Cartel drones: Drones have become a prominent tool and weapon used by Mexican cartels across Mexico in recent years, according to cartel operatives, security analysts and some government officials on both sides of the border. While Trump administration officials have warned for months about cartels using them near the U.S.-Mexico border, Mexican officials have publicly been more skeptical, downplaying the threat drones pose at the border. Read more ›

• Counter-drone program: In July, Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the counter-drone program at the Homeland Security Department, testified before Congress and asked lawmakers to continue the program. He said that 27,000 drones had flown within about 1,650 feet of the border over six months in 2024, piloted by organizations hostile to law enforcement. He did not go into detail on the nature of the anti-drone technology the department was testing.
• Airport: The airport in El Paso, the 23rd-most populous city in the nation according to the 2020 census, serves a vast swath of West Texas and eastern New Mexico and offers direct flights to hubs across the southwestern United States, as well as to cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle. The nearest major U.S. airport is in Albuquerque, about 270 miles away.
• Disrupted travel: Alex Torres, 42, was among the travelers who arrived at the airport unaware that flights had been grounded. Ms. Torres, who was expecting to fly to New York for business, said she spoke with an American Airlines representative on the phone who had yet to hear the news. “They didn’t know anything about the airport being closed,” she said.

US military shot down party balloon near El Paso after suspecting drone, official says

A U.S. official says the military shot down a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially suspecting it was a foreign drone, prompting a temporary airspace closure.

www.foxnews.com

A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military earlier this week shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially assessing it as a possible foreign drone.

The misidentification eventually led to a total shutdown of airspace around the El Paso airport.

A separate U.S. administration official had told Fox News that Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso and that counter-drone measures were taken to disable them.

The Pentagon has been testing out new counter-drone technology, including a high-energy laser, near the Army base at Fort Bliss, Texas. That laser was used to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones — and was later identified as a balloon — prompting the airspace closure by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an official told Fox.

AMERICA'S SKIES ARE WIDE OPEN TO NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, DRONE EXPERT WARNS: 'WE HAVE NO AWARENESS'

It's unclear whether the cartel drones were related.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier Wednesday the FAA and Department of War had "acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion."

"The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region," he said.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday her government has no information indicating drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border following the temporary airspace restriction in Texas that U.S. officials linked to counter-drone measures.

"We have no information indicating drone activity along the border," she said in a news conference. "If the FAA or any U.S. government agency has relevant information, they can ask directly the Government of Mexico."

She said Mexican airspace had not been closed.

"We will look into the specific reasons behind the temporary closure," she said.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexican airspace had not been closed. (Henry Romero/Reuters)

"There’s no place for speculation," she said. "We will wait for the information and continue to uphold what we have consistently maintained: permanent, open communication."

The FAA temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as "special security reasons" Wednesday morning. The restriction initially was valid for 10 days, through Feb. 20 — an unusually lengthy timeframe for airspace limitations affecting a major commercial airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as "special security reasons" Wednesday morning. (Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images)

PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES

Temporary flight restrictions are typically used for presidential travel, emergency response operations or specific, time-limited national security events. It is uncommon for such restrictions to be issued near a busy border airport absent a significant security concern.

Shortly after the restriction was put in place, however, the FAA and the Department of War reopened the airspace and determined "there is no threat to commercial travel," according to the administration official.

U.S. officials have warned in recent months that drug cartels increasingly are deploying unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, smuggling coordination and reconnaissance along the southern border.

Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal strike in the Eastern Pacific, according to a post made on Dec. 12, 2025. ( U.S. Southern Command/X)

The episode comes amid heightened cross-border security tensions as the Trump administration presses regional governments to intensify cooperation against drug cartels and fentanyl trafficking networks that U.S. officials describe as a direct homeland security threat.

Birnbaum has rejected repeated U.S. offers to intervene and strike cartels on Mexican territory.

Recounting a conversation where Trump offered to help militarily in the fight against cartels, Sheinbaum said in January, "We told him, so far it’s going very well, it’s not necessary, and furthermore, there is Mexico’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and he understood."