Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is hosting a meeting for the Western Hemisphere defense chiefs in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as "special security reasons." Federal officials have not released operational details, but the administration official said the action was directly tied to counter-drone measures along the southern border.
The incident underscores the growing use of unmanned systems by cartel networks and the increasing overlap between traditional criminal activity and homeland defense concerns — a theme expected to surface in discussions among defense leaders gathered in Washington.
Top military leaders from Denmark, Britain and France, nations that have territory in the western hemisphere, have also been invited, according to The New York Times.
Gen. Francis Donovan, the new chief of Southern Command, which oversees Latin American and Caribbean operations, is expected to press regional counterparts to intensify cooperation against drug-trafficking organizations and transnational criminal groups that operate across borders and increasingly leverage advanced technology. U.S. officials have warned that cartel networks are using drones, encrypted communications and sophisticated smuggling routes to move narcotics and personnel.
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces in January in a high-stakes operation and is now facing federal drug-trafficking charges in the United States. The capture has reshaped U.S. security discussions in the Western Hemisphere. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
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The summit comes on the heels of the dramatic U.S. military capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in early January after months of counternarcotics boat strikes.
As the hemisphere’s security landscape continues shifting, defense officials and regional allies alike will be watching to see how other governments with hostile policies toward the U.S. respond to Washington’s increasingly assertive posture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/western-hemisphere-defense-chiefs-convene-after-border-drone-scare-prompts-airspace-closure