U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that federal, state and local partners carried out the most comprehensive airspace security and drone mitigation effort in U.S. history during FIFA World Cup 2026. The successful effort helped protect millions of fans and resulted in the seizure of more than 700 unauthorized drones.
The successful counter-drone operation established a new standard for securing major events and will help strengthen long-term protections for future high-profile gatherings and critical infrastructure in the United States, including the 2028 Olympic Games.
THE OPERATION:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established no-drone zones through nearly 250 temporary flight restrictions covering all match venues, fan festivals, team hotels and training sites. Federal officials warned drone operators to leave their drones at home and made clear that violators could face confiscation, fines and prosecution.
Ground Intercept Teams, made up of federal and local personnel, were deployed at venues to support rapid detection, mitigation and enforcement involving unauthorized drone activity. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seized more than 700 drones operating in restricted airspace across all 11 U.S. host cities. Each unauthorized drone was treated as a potential threat.
“The Trump administration took a whole-of-government approach to deliver a safe and secure FIFA World Cup experience enjoyed by more than a billion people around the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “In partnership with the FBI and DHS, the FAA held violators of no-drone zones accountable, seizing more than 700 drones before they were able to disrupt tournament activities. I’m grateful for the team President Trump assembled to help make these historic games possible.”
“Protecting all FIFA World Cup 2026 attendees from potential drone threats was crucial for ensuring the historic success of this tournament. Through unprecedented coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, we carried out the most comprehensive airspace security and drone mitigation effort in U.S. history to identify and remove these threats,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “For FIFA World Cup 2026, C-UAS efforts were a total team effort. I want to extend my gratitude to the men and women of DHS, our components, FBI, and all our other crucial partners who were instrumental in seizing more than 700 unauthorized drones that entered restricted airspace. Together, we will build upon this success for future major sporting events.”
“Securing the airspace over every FIFA World Cup stadium was one of the most complex challenges our agency has ever taken on, and what our teams accomplished was unprecedented,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners stood up a counter-drone effort unlike anything we have done before through our National Counter-UAS Training Center, and that preparation is why we took down over 700 drones. This tournament will be remembered as a defining moment for how federal law enforcement protects the American people in the modern era.”
The operation reflected close coordination among the White House Task Force, National Security Council, FBI, DHS, FAA and state and local law enforcement agencies to help ensure a safe and secure World Cup experience.
Additional Information:
The operation was the culmination of more than a year of work to address drone threats through grant funding, legislation and training provided by the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center for state and local law enforcement agencies in all 11 U.S. host cities.
A counter-drone grant in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 provided $500 million to support state, local, tribal and territorial procurement of equipment, with the first $250 million awarded to host cities and states for the tournament. According to DHS, it was the fastest non-emergency, disaster-related grant awarded in department history.
The federal government began building counter-drone capabilities after President Trump signed two executive orders in June 2025 as part of broader actions to strengthen American leadership in drone technology and enhance the security of national airspace.
Lessons learned during the World Cup will help agencies identify best practices for counter-drone operations and advance efforts to protect the public, critical infrastructure and large public gatherings from drone-related threats.
Congress also passed the Safer Skies Act in December 2025, extending counter-drone mitigation authority to state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies that meet training requirements.