US agencies have seized more than 700 drones near World Cup sites

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) – U.S. agencies have seized over 700 drones near FIFA World Cup venues and fan zones since the start of the tournament on June 11, the FBI said on Thursday.

On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of three nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet (914 meters) above ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by air traffic controllers. The FBI said drones have been seized from restricted airspace across all 11 U.S. host cities and there have been several arrests.

The Federal Aviation Administration imposed dozens of temporary flight restrictions to bar drones around World Cup sites. At fan gatherings, drones are barred within a one-nautical-mile radius and up to 1,000 feet above ground level.

Operators whose drones enter restricted airspace without approval can face fines of up to $100,000, along with criminal charges and confiscation of their drone, the FBI said. The FBI has teams stationed around World Cup stadiums to detect and disable unauthorized drones.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in an interview the seizures demonstrate the government “can actually identify the users and identify people who are in airspace where they’re not supposed to be.”

The FAA has proposed to allow operators of critical infrastructure to petition to restrict drone operations over sites for safety and security reasons. Bedford said, “We’re going to start looking at all of the sensitive locations, power plants, utility plants, infrastructure.”

The FAA has said it gets more than 100 reports of drones near airports each month.

There have been numerous drone incidents in prior years over major U.S. sporting events.

In 2025, a man pleaded guilty after he was charged with violating defense airspace by flying a drone over a National Football League playoff game in Baltimore.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)