Law enforcement agencies across the United States are preparing an unprecedented aerial defense network for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
More than sixty local, county, and state agencies completed the FBI's first counter-UAS mitigation training program at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Additional classes are scheduled to expand the pool of qualified personnel before the tournament begins.
The FBI will station approximately sixty trained counter-UAS officers and protection teams in eleven host cities. These units will operate systems designed to detect, track, assess, and neutralize unauthorized drone activity near venues and flight paths.
FBI field offices have already issued formal warnings to drone operators. The Dallas office released its notice on May 28, 2026, followed by the Kansas City office on June 5, 2026. Both statements outlined temporary flight restrictions and warned that violations could result in fines reaching one hundred thousand dollars or criminal prosecution.
Patrick Grandy, FBI Assistant Director in the Los Angeles office, described the operational posture. "We will be 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."
Devin Kowalski, Assistant Director of the FBI Critical Incident Response Group, highlighted the primary concern. "The thing that keeps us all up at night is an unauthorized drone with a payload that could hurt people."
Training focused on practical integration between federal assets and local agencies. Officers practiced coordinated responses using radar, radio-frequency sensors, and directed mitigation tools approved for use in domestic airspace. The curriculum emphasized rapid identification of threats while maintaining safe operations around commercial aviation corridors.
Host cities include major metropolitan areas served by FBI field offices in Dallas, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. Each location will receive tailored coverage based on venue layouts, surrounding airspace, and expected spectator volumes. Teams will maintain continuous coverage during match days and related events.
Enforcement actions will rely on existing federal regulations governing unmanned aircraft. Temporary flight restrictions will be published through standard FAA channels, with real-time monitoring provided by the deployed counter-UAS assets. Violators face both civil penalties and potential referral for federal criminal charges.
NBC News reported the scale of the training effort and the timing of operator advisories. The FBI Dallas Field Office issued the official May 28 statement detailing enforcement priorities. Coverage in the Los Angeles Times and ESPN outlined the broader deployment plan and referenced more than two hundred fifty million dollars allocated to anti-drone technology for the event.
Additional training iterations will continue through the coming months to ensure sufficient staffing across all venues. The FBI has stated that the program represents an ongoing effort to build permanent counter-UAS capacity within partner agencies beyond the 2026 tournament.
