Washington, DC —
A 26-year-old Texas man trying to capture video footage of a church in Houston is facing charges for illegally operating a drone too close to a World Cup event as authorities across the country crack down on unauthorized flights.
John Alexander Meza of La Porte, Texas, allegedly flew a DJI Mavic 3 in restricted airspace in Houston on June 11, the opening day of the FIFA tournament. He did not have a remote pilot license, did not check for flight restrictions, and his drone was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, a criminal complaint filed with the Southern District of Texas said. His flight lasted two minutes and reached just over 200 feet, prosecutors wrote in the document.
Meza does not have a lawyer listed in court records and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
He is one of hundreds of people in trouble for operating drones illegally near FIFA sites in World Cup host cities. The Federal Aviation Administration established “national defense airspace” around stadiums and official fan events, and designated them as “no drone zones” for security reasons.
