The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a temporary halt on flights in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday after a brief closure due to a potential military drone operation, according to a source. The closure, which occurred late Tuesday, was a preemptive measure taken by the agency, but the FAA later stated there was no threat to commercial aviation.
The FAA initially cited "special security reasons" for the flight restrictions, which were put in place near El Paso International Airport. The restrictions were lifted after the Department of War (DOW) disabled drones operated by Mexican drug cartels that had breached U.S. airspace, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," Duffy announced in a statement on X.
In other news, Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday regarding the Justice Department's handling of the release of Jeffrey Epstein files. The department has faced scrutiny over the extensive redactions and delayed nature of the release of documents related to the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019.
Also on Wednesday, authorities in Arizona detained and released a person for questioning in connection with the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie. The person was detained during a traffic stop and a residence connected to the individual was searched, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department. FBI Director Kash Patel released a surveillance photo.
In a separate development, an undocumented Maryland mother, Arlit Martinez-Carrada, whose teenage son died while she was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, has requested to be deported to her native Mexico. Martinez-Carrada was unable to see her son before his death from cancer early last month and was only able to attend his funeral in late January. An official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told WJZ-TV that Martinez-Carrada had entered the country illegally four separate times before her arrest on January 3 in Salisbury, Wicomico County.
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