U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) says the recent federal shutdown of airspace over parts of El Paso and eastern New Mexico highlights serious gaps in America’s defenses against cartel-operated drones along the southern border.
In an interview Wednesday morning, Gonzales addressed the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued Tuesday night that temporarily restricted aircraft operations in his district following what officials described as a cartel drone incursion into U.S. airspace. The restriction was later lifted, but Gonzales said the episode underscores a growing and urgent threat.
“The threat is real, and we know this,” Gonzales said. “The Border Patrol is seeing this threat, and they don’t have the tools they need to deal with it.”
Details about the specific drone incursion have not been publicly released. However, reporting has documented the increasing use of drones by Mexican drug cartels to conduct surveillance and, in some cases, launch explosive attacks against law enforcement and military forces in Mexico. Cartel drones have also been used to monitor activity on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Gonzales acknowledged that communication surrounding Tuesday’s airspace closure could have been handled better.
“This should have involved better communication, especially near the border where drone activity is more common,” he said. “We need to get to a place that keeps the community safe but also gives our military partners and law enforcement the freedom to quickly interdict UAS threats.”
The congressman said he is working on both funding and education initiatives to strengthen counter-drone capabilities.
“One way we are working to increase our counter-UAS capabilities is through funding under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Gonzales explained. “We allocated $500 million in funding to go toward decreasing the UAS threat at the border and elsewhere in the country.”
In addition, Gonzales secured funding for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Drone Workforce Development Center at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The center is designed to expand specialized training in drone operations and counter-drone technologies, with a focus on border environments.
The program will provide hands-on instruction in drone technology and counter-UAS systems tailored to the unique challenges of the region.
Beyond that, Gonzales noted that $1.5 billion has been designated for the Department of Homeland Security to procure advanced technology to detect, track, identify, and counter unmanned aircraft threats.
As cartel drone activity increases, Gonzales said the federal government must move quickly to close the capability gap and ensure both border agents and local communities are protected.
