FBI to – As the 2026 World Cup gets underway in Los Angeles, federal authorities are rolling out strict drone restrictions nationwide and preparing to intercept unauthorized drones, warning operators face fines up to $100,000.
Next week, on the way to the opening World Cup match in Los Angeles, the message from federal authorities is blunt: drones in restricted airspace won’t be allowed to linger.
Authorities announced Monday a nationwide no-drone zone at all venues, saying they will take down any unauthorized flying objects. The crackdown is arriving as federal officials say drones are increasingly being used as weapons of war and terror. and they’re moving quickly to put countermeasures in place ahead of the tournament.
Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium will host eight matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026, ending with a quarter-final match on July 10. Both the U.S. national team and the team from Iran—whose countries remain at war—will be playing at the venue.
Patrick Grandy. an FBI assistant director who oversees the Los Angeles office. said the agency will work with the Federal Aviation Administration to enforce temporary flight restrictions over the stadium. He described deploying “drone mitigation and interception teams with capabilities to detect. track and assess unauthorized drone activity that threatens aviation safety or the public around venues at major events.” He added that “Drone operators who enter restricted airspace without authorization may face fines up to $100. 000.”.
The games have been classified as a national security event, meaning federal law enforcement can deploy the most extensive security measures under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.
On World Cup match days across the country, all aircraft—including drones—will be prohibited below 3,000 feet in altitude and within a 3-nautical-mile radius around the stadiums unless otherwise authorized by air traffic control.
Grandy said the FBI is authorized to use a variety of technologies to detect whether a drone is violating restricted airspace. “The capability exists to bring that drone down into a safe location away from the grounds,” he said. “There will be zero tolerance.”
Federal officials did not disclose the specific nature of any anti-drone jamming and remote grabbing technology that probably would be used.
Even that uncertainty isn’t the point. The point. Grandy said. is that the danger from drones isn’t confined to people who set out with malicious intent. He pointed to an example of accidental harm: during the Palisades fire. a drone operator accidentally struck a Super Scooper plane. damaging the aircraft. That operator was convicted of a federal crime.
Los Angeles already operates in heavily regulated airspace, with several airports and numerous local drone restrictions. Still, Grandy said a drone several years ago struck a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell issued his own warning Monday. telling the public that “anyone seeking to turn the celebration into chaos. who threatens the public safety of our residents or visitors or who comes here intending to commit crimes. you will find no refuge in this city. You will be stopped, arrested and held accountable.”.
For the last few years. authorities have relied on ad hoc systems to deal with threats from the skies. but the World Cup may be the first major event where a drone threat is treated as central rather than incidental. Grandy said the extra drone restrictions resemble those used during the Super Bowl. but this time they will be enforced at multiple venues over multiple days.
The first World Cup match in the U.S. will be June 12 in Inglewood, with Paraguay playing the United States.
In preparation, federal authorities have been training local law enforcement in drone countermeasures. During a recent session in Huntsville, Alabama, one technology demonstrated was a quad-copter designed to approach a drone nearing the restricted zone and verbally warn the operator.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “As fans from around the world gather at stadiums and fan events across the country for the FIFA World Cup. the FAA is using every available tool to protect the airspace. including stronger drone-enforcement efforts.” He added: “Drone operators should expect swift action if they violate restricted airspace.”.
The sequence is clear in how agencies are setting rules and backing them with force: a nationwide no-drone zone. altitude and radius limits around stadiums on match days. and teams prepared to detect. track. assess. and bring down unauthorized drones. In Los Angeles—already accustomed to tight airspace controls—officials are treating the tournament not just as a spectacle. but as an arena where the sky itself has become a security front.
World Cup 2026 drones FBI FAA SoFi Stadium national security event Inglewood countermeasures drone interception teams drone mitigation