El Jobero Airstrip

Manuel Benavides, MX 🇲🇽 Closed Airport

ICAO

MX-1553

IATA

-

Elevation

- ft

Region

MX-CHH

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 28.66918° N, -103.77179° E

Continent: NA

Type: Closed Airport

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

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Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 25, 2025
Closure Date

The exact date of closure is not documented in public records. However, based on analysis of historical satellite imagery and the pattern of similar airstrip closures in the region, it was likely rendered unusable sometime between the late 2000s and mid-2010s. This period corresponds with intensified efforts by the Mexican military to combat cartel logistics.

Reason for Closure

The airstrip was almost certainly closed and disabled by Mexican authorities, likely the Mexican Army (SEDENA), as part of counter-narcotics operations. Its remote location in a sparsely populated area near the U.S. border made it a strategic asset for drug trafficking organizations. Satellite imagery of the site clearly shows large trenches or berms dug across the runway at regular intervals, a common method used by the military to permanently disable such clandestine or unauthorized landing strips to prevent their use by smugglers.

Current Status

The site is completely abandoned and defunct. The runway remains clearly visible from the air but is unusable for any aircraft due to the deliberate damage (trenches/berms). The land has reverted to its natural, undeveloped desert state. There are no buildings, hangars, or any infrastructure remaining at the site. It exists only as a scar on the landscape, visible via satellite.

Historical Significance

El Jobero Airstrip (MX-1553 is a non-official, database-specific identifier, not a formal ICAO code) held no official or commercial significance. It was a private, unpaved dirt strip. Its primary function was likely twofold: 1) Legitimate private use by local ranchers for operating light aircraft (e.g., Cessna, Piper) to manage vast, remote properties in the Chihuahuan Desert. 2) Illicit use as a clandestine landing zone ('pista clandestina') for smuggling operations. Given its proximity to the U.S. border across from the Big Bend region of Texas, it was ideally situated for trafficking drugs, weapons, or people via small aircraft, bypassing ground-level border security.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the El Jobero Airstrip. Its reopening is virtually impossible for several reasons: 1) Lack of economic need, as the area is extremely remote with a very small population. 2) Its history as a suspected narco-airstrip means any attempt to repair it would immediately attract intense scrutiny and intervention from both Mexican and U.S. law enforcement and military. 3) The land is likely privately owned (part of a ranch or 'ejido') with no public interest in funding or operating an airfield. For all practical purposes, its closure is permanent.

Nearby Airports

La Tinaja Airport
MX-2072
Manuel Benavides, MX
Closed Airport
~32 km away
Álamos de Márquez Airport
MX-2068
Ocampo, MX
Closed Airport
~34 km away
El Whisky Airport
MX-2073
Camargo, MX
Closed Airport
~36 km away
Rancho Álamos de García Airport
MX-2074
Camargo, MX
Closed Airport
~37 km away
Presidio Viejo Airport
MX-2071
Manuel Benavides, MX
Closed Airport
~49 km away
Punta de Agua Airport
MX-2075
Ojinaga, MX
Closed Airport
~50 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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