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During a recent news conference, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem found herself at the center of a heated exchange, leading her to make a quick exit from the podium. The tension arose when a reporter questioned her about a potential mishap involving US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and a party balloon, a situation that led to the temporary closure of an airport.
Noem’s conference on Friday was initially focused on election security. However, the conversation took an unexpected turn when she was asked to address the incident that occurred on Tuesday, which saw El Paso airspace shut down due to a balloon, reportedly mistaken for a Mexican cartel drone.
In a pointed inquiry, a reporter asked, “Can you confirm that CBP hit a party balloon with a laser, mistaking it for a drone earlier this week? If so, why wasn’t this action coordinated with the FAA?” This question seemed to catch Noem off guard, prompting her to conclude the press conference abruptly.
The situation was further complicated by the fact that an FAA administrator had decided to close the airspace on Tuesday without notifying key authorities, including the White House, the Pentagon, and local officials. Confusion lingered for hours until the airspace was reopened, with the FAA noting that the military had not provided details on the timing of the anti-drone laser operation.
In her brief response before leaving the conference, Noem stated, “This was a joint agency task force mission that was undertaken,” offering little in the way of clarification or detail.
‘And, we’re continuing to work on the communication through that, but recognize we’re grateful for the partnership of the Department of War and the FAA as we go forward.’
The reporter went for a follow-up question but was denied by Noem, who turned away to thank the rest of the press before stepping away.
A laser was, in fact, used to shoot down party balloons, sources told NBC News.Â
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem quickly fled the podium at a news conference on Friday after she was questioned about the closure of El Paso airspace on Tuesday due to a party balloon possibly being mistaken for a Mexican cartel drone
An FAA Administrator decided to close the airspace on Tuesday without alerting the White House, the Pentagon, Homeland Security officials, or local officials
Officially, the US Border Patrol has not said whether its employees were behind the deployment of the laser, meant to obliterate drones using extreme heat.
When asked by the Daily Mail whether its agents had used the laser, an agency spokesman told us to direct our questions to the White House.
The department also refused to say exactly where the laser was used and what it was shot at.
Border Patrol agents who spoke with Daily Mail did not know who had deployed the laser; however, they believe the unverified narrative about the balloons is incorrect.
They explained that drones sent by Mexican cartels often breach US airspace in and around El Paso- calling it a ‘regular occurrence.’
The White House stated on Wednesday, saying: ‘Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace.’
The restricted airspace covered a ten-mile-wide area centered roughly five miles southwest of El Paso, extending from the ground up to 18,000 feet
A plane flies over El Paso International Airport after the airspace over the city was reopened a few hours after the closure
‘The Department of Defense took action to disable the drones,’ it added.
El Paso airport describes itself as the gateway to West Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American, and Delta all operate flights from there, among others.
The last time US airspace was shut down for national security was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The FAA also temporarily closed airspace over New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, but that was due to storm damage.
Unlike previous restrictions, the El Paso closure blocked all flights over the city, including police and medical helicopters.
It is a move rarely, if ever, seen in modern US aviation.