The sudden closure of airspace around El Paso, Texas, by the Federal Aviation Administration stemmed from the Pentagon’s plan to test a laser for shooting down Mexican cartel drones.

A Pentagon plan to use a high-energy, counter-drone laser without having coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration about potential risks to civilian flights prompted Wednesday’s unprecedented airspace shutdown over El Paso,

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared that "the threat has been neutralized" after the airspace was closed for several hours.

The airspace over El Paso's international airport was briefly closed Feb. 11 after the Pentagon disabled drones by Mexican cartels, official said.