Texas government says El Paso highway shutdown memo is fake

"The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) advises the public that, effective immediately, all major highway corridors providing access to the El Paso metropolitan area will be temporarily closed for approximately ten (10) days," the alleged statement reads.

Apparent screenshots of the release spread across platforms including X, Facebook and Instagram -- in both English and Spanish.

"Wait?!" says one post shared February 11, 2026 on X. "No road traffic. No air traffic. Why is Trump cutting off a US City?"

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Screenshot from X taken February 11, 2026

The image spread after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said late February 10 that the airspace over El Paso would be shut to all aircraft for 10 days, citing unspecified national "security reasons." The agency went on to lift the closure after less than 24 hours.

US officials said Mexican drug cartel drones had entered the airspace and were countered by American forces. But Mexico said it had "no information" on drones at the border, and the Trump administration's version of events was questioned by lawmakers as well as sources cited by US media who suggested the shutdown was triggered by US military drone or counter-drone activity.

But the supposed memo closing major roadways in El Paso -- which has a population of about 700,000 and is one of the 25 largest cities in the United States -- is inauthentic.

"This is a fake memo, and DPS is NOT closing the major highways -- or any roads -- in or out of the area over the next 10 days," the Texas Department of Public Safety said in February 11 statement published on its official website and social media channels (archived here and here).

The agency added that it was unaware of the provenance of the fabrication.

Adam Hammons, media relations director for the Texas Department of Transportation, further confirmed to AFP that "no roads are closed."

"Any road closures on our roads in the El Paso area are for scheduled construction and maintenance," Hammons said a February 11 email.

The department's website shows live footage captured by closed-circuit TV cameras stationed along dozens of highways and roadways throughout El Paso. As of February 11 at 1730 GMT, the cameras appeared to show traffic as usual, with no city-wide shutdowns (archived here). Maps on the department's DriveTexas.org, which display real-time highway conditions, also did not indicate widespread closures (archived here).

Texas state Senator Cesar Blanco also said in a February 11 post on X that his office had spoken with state authorities and confirmed "there are no operations being implemented that would result in road closures" (archived here).

AFP has debunked other misinformation about US politics here.