US authorities have seized over 300 unauthorized drones near 2026 FIFA World Cup venues since the tournament began on June 11, officials said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) described enforcement as "swift and proactive" and said the airspace security effort is the most comprehensive in US history for the World Cup, resulting in the large number of drone seizures so far [2].
Drone flights are banned on match days within a 3-nautical-mile radius and up to 3,000 feet above stadiums unless specially authorized, while fan zones have a separate no-fly zone radius of 1 nautical mile and a height limit of 1,000 feet [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has prohibited drones over all matches and related fan areas across the US [1, 3, 5, 6].
The FBI has issued 49 tickets and seized 54 drones tied to World Cup events in Florida [1, 3, 4, 6]. FBI teams are deployed near stadiums nationwide to detect and disable unauthorized drones [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Drone operators violating the no-fly zones face fines up to $100,000, criminal charges, confiscation of equipment, and potentially prison time [1, 2, 3, 5, 6].
US Homeland Security has installed counter-drone defense systems on the Texas border since 2025 as part of broader drone security efforts [1, 3, 4]. The government allocated $500 million to counter-drone grants and created a specialized FBI training center for drone mitigation technology [5]. Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup, said security is "set up like a Super Bowl" with counter-UAS coverage for all 78 US matches [5].
Past drone incidents have led to prosecutions, including a man pleading guilty in January 2025 for flying a drone over an NFL playoff game in Baltimore, and a Massachusetts man charged in April 2024 for flying unlawfully near the Boston Marathon finish line [1, 3, 4].
On June 24, FBI and law enforcement seized 8 drones and controllers in Kansas City for violating restrictions [2]. Security teams continue monitoring venues closely for unauthorized drone activity during the tournament.
