Federal authorities intercepted nearly 2,000 drones during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin revealed on Monday, July 21st, 2026. Some drones were brought down before operators could even remove them from their vehicles, demonstrating the effectiveness of security teams throughout the tournament.

"We got so good at [intercepting them], we started being able to bring them down before they even got out of the trunk of a car," Mullin said on "The Will Cain Show."

Security teams averaged more than 30 intercepted drones per match, excluding additional incidents around fan festivals and after games concluded. The established no-fly zones extended three miles and 3,000 feet around stadiums, with one-mile and 1,000-foot restrictions surrounding FIFA Fan Festivals.

Mullin noted that authorities had "technology dialed in" to locate operators before many drones took flight, even when launched from outside the established perimeter. However, some drone operators raised serious concerns, as authorities believed certain individuals were intentionally probing security perimeters around stadiums and fan festivals. Some of these operators were licensed but appeared to be testing the limits of the security measures.

"Some of them we felt like was actual a threat, that they were testing the perimeter. Those are some of the drones that we confiscated," Mullin said. He also mentioned a threat involving the use of vehicles but did not disclose specific locations.

The crackdown included over 400 drone seizures across U.S. host cities, with federal charges filed against four individuals related to these incidents.

Sources