The FBI has seized more than 700 drones since the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11, making it the largest federal drone enforcement operation in American history. The crackdown spans all 11 US host cities, and the numbers keep climbing.
Most of the operators caught weren’t terrorists or spies. They were real estate photographers and hobbyists trying to grab aerial footage of packed stadiums.
The scope of the crackdown
Miami leads the seizure count at 99 drones, followed by Atlanta at 86 and Dallas at 63. Los Angeles recorded 48 seizures, while Kansas City tallied 32 total, including 8 in a single day on June 16.
The FBI is running this operation alongside the Department of Homeland Security, the FAA, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and local police departments across the country.
