By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-laser-incident-that-caused-el-paso-airspace-closure-was-joint-agency-mission-noem-says Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Laser incident that caused El Paso airspace closure was 'joint agency' mission, Noem says Nation Feb 13, 2026 4:25 PM EDT Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sais Friday that the government was "continuing to work on communication" regarding a laser incident in El Paso, Texas. Watch the clip in the video player above. Noem was addressing a reporter's question about Customs and Border Protection's use of an anti-drone laser earlier this week that led the FAA to shut down airspace over El Paso for several hours. A source familiar with the situation told AP that the laser was deployed without coordinating with the FAA. WATCH: What caused the sudden and confusing closure of El Paso's airspace Noem seemed to acknowledge the chaos the event caused. "This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken and we're continuing to work on the communication through that," Noem said during an Arizona event. The abrupt shutdown led to confusion in the city of 700,000 on the Mexican border. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sais Friday that the government was "continuing to work on communication" regarding a laser incident in El Paso, Texas. Watch the clip in the video player above. Noem was addressing a reporter's question about Customs and Border Protection's use of an anti-drone laser earlier this week that led the FAA to shut down airspace over El Paso for several hours. A source familiar with the situation told AP that the laser was deployed without coordinating with the FAA. WATCH: What caused the sudden and confusing closure of El Paso's airspace Noem seemed to acknowledge the chaos the event caused. "This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken and we're continuing to work on the communication through that," Noem said during an Arizona event. The abrupt shutdown led to confusion in the city of 700,000 on the Mexican border. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now