Since December, the U.S. has spent $250 million arming World Cup host cities against drone threats across the country. Even so, the Trump Administration said it might not have been enough.
“On the counter-drone measures, everybody’s a little behind,” Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday, a striking admission given months of federal preparation. “Drones are my biggest concern. … Every single day, we improve,” he said. “But that is a huge concern that we have.”
Unauthorized drones, he added, continue to regularly breach restricted airspace around high-profile venues, with threats ranging from “nuisance flights” to more serious breaches that put crowds at risk.
On match days, all aircraft including drones will be prohibited below 3,000 feet and within roughly 3.5 miles of stadiums. Drone operators who violate that restriction will face fines of up to $100,000, according to FBI Assistant Director Patrick Grandy. The FAA has also implemented temporary flight restrictions around all 11 stadiums, unless aircraft have been authorized by air traffic control.
The 11 World Cup host states and Washington, D.C., each received a portion of a $250 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The funding, distributed through the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program created under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill enacted in July 2025, is to be used to detect, track, and take down unauthorized aircrafts.
