Showing the difference between a Mexican cartel drone and a party balloon in one easy lesso

 

Headline:  New York Times, 2/11/2026

 

Matthew Cullen reports: 

The military has been developing high-energy laser technology to intercept and destroy drones, including those used by Mexican drug cartels. Military officials deployed it earlier this week against what they thought was a cartel drone, but which turned out to be a party balloon. 

The official explanation from the Trump administration for the shutdown was different. The transportation secretary, along with the White House, insisted that a sudden incursion of drones from Mexican cartels had forced the Federal Aviation Administration to halt all flights to and from El Paso. The airspace was reopened this morning. [emphasis added]

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