What kind of air traffic does the Doña Ana International Jetport, arrest site of cartel drug lords, handle?

SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was taken into custody in the United States after boarding a plane that flew right here to the Borderland last week.

Officials and Zambada’s attorney have conflicting stories about how he ended up on the plane, but it’s fact that the flight ended at the Dona Ana International Jetport.

The airport, based just west of El Paso in nearby Santa Teresa, currently operates under general aviation, but what exactly does that mean?

Bill Provance, manager of the jetport, explained to ABC-7 that smaller airports like this operate much differently than larger, commercial airports, such as the El Paso International Airport.

"It’s an uncontrolled field, there’s no tower," he said.

Because there’s no control tower, airport staff only briefly deal with those taking off and landing through a special radio frequency called UNICOM.

“They announce who they are, where they are, what they intend to do, and who they’re talking to," added Provance.

He says anyone is allowed to land here, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection only get involved when an incoming aircraft is flying in from out of the country.

While Provance couldn’t comment specifically on the flight that El Mayo arrived on, he says international flight plans must be filed with CBP ahead of time, and the airport is only notified of these types of flights when a CBP unit rolls by the window of the airport’s office.

“They’re based at the [Santa Teresa] Port of Entry, and then they drive up to meet with the airplane when it arrives, to be on the ground ready to go," he said.

The Dona Ana International jetport is currently undergoing major renovations that will allow larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 757, to land there.

The Jetport hopes the result of the ongoing construction of the runway expansion will hopefully attract a different kind of air traffic here.

"Foxconn has indicated that they’d like to fly their electronic components directly from Taiwan to here," said Provance.

He adds the new, heavier duty runway will be open to traffic by Labor Day weekend, and construction is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.