Drones, Drugs, Laser Beams Stir Confusion Over Texas Skies (1)

For a few hours on Wednesday, the sleepy airport of El Paso, Texas, became a sudden flashpoint for confusion.

Late Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a terse notice to pilots that airspace in the area would close — for an unprecedented 10 days — due to “special security reasons.” And then almost as suddenly, the FAA lifted the restrictions Wednesday morning.

Conflicting accounts of what prompted the action in the first place quickly emerged.

Trump administration officials including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the shutdown was in response to drones operated by Mexican drug cartels that had breached ...