EXCLUSIVE: Texas Rep. on El Paso Border Scare, 'We’re Way Behind in Counter Drone Defenses'

U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) says there is much work to be done to hone Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) defenses along the U.S.-Mexico border in the wake of a federal shutdown of airspace in portions of his district on Tuesday evening. Gonzales told Breitbart Texas he’s working to remedy the situation through funding and education.

Breitbart Texas spoke to Gonzales on Wednesday morning shortly after a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricted aircraft operations for El Paso and parts of eastern New Mexico due to a cartel drone incursion into U.S. airspace. The NOTAM for El Paso was cancelled shortly after. Gonzales told Breitbart Texas that incidents involving cartel drones in and around the border region are increasing, and the threat should be taken seriously.

“The threat is real, and we know this. The Border Patrol is seeing this threat, and they don’t have the tools they need to deal with it,” Gonzales emphasized.

Speaking specifically about the recent airspace closure in El Paso and eastern New Mexico, Gonzales says the incident could have been communicated to the public more effectively.

“This should have involved better communication, especially near the border where drone activity is more common,” the Texas congressman stated. “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.”

As reported by Breitbart Texas, specific information concerning the Mexican cartel’s drone incursion into El Paso airspace has not been released. Breitbart Texas has reported extensively on the use of weaponized drones by drug cartels to attack police and military forces in Mexico. The drones have been used to surveil police and military activities on both sides of the border as well.

Gonzales says efforts are underway to close the gap in UAS defenses at the border, offering some hope of rectifying the situation. “One way we are working to increase our counter-UAS capabilities is through funding under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. We allocated $500 million in funding to go toward decreasing the UAS threat at the border and elsewhere in the country,” he added.

In addition, the border congressman says he has secured funding for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Drone Workforce Development Center at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The program is designed to expand specialized training in drone operations and counter-drone technologies.

The UTEP UAS Drone Workforce Development Center will provide hands-on instruction dedicated to drone technologies in a border environment, according to Gonzales.

Additional funding is also available specifically for the Department of Homeland Security, including $1.5 billion to procure technology to detect, track, identify, and counter UAS threats.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.