Feds charge four as World Cup drone crackdown tops 400 seizures across US host cities nationwide

Four radical are facing national charges aft allegedly flying drones into restricted airspace astatine FIFA World Cup events, arsenic the FBI says authorities person present seized much than 400 unauthorized drones crossed the tournament's 11 U.S. big cities.

The suspects, Huu An Nguyen Dinh, John Alexander Meza, Patrick Heer, and Jordan Lee Zale, are accused of violating Temporary Flight Restrictions established astir FIFA World Cup venues, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.

According to the FBI, Dinh had been warned by constabulary conscionable days earlier helium allegedly flew a drone into restricted airspace.

The FBI's Houston tract bureau utilized the cases to nonstop a blunt informing to anyone reasoning astir launching a drone adjacent a World Cup lucifer oregon authoritative instrumentality event.

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A swarm of drones flies successful the sky. (iStock/Getty Images)

"Don't privation to beryllium federally charged? Then don't alert successful a #NoDroneZone!" the bureau wrote successful a societal media station announcing the charges.

The national charges are the latest motion authorities are aggressively enforcing airspace restrictions astir World Cup venues nationwide.

"Due to unprecedented instrumentality enforcement coordination, this FBI and our DHS partners person seized implicit 400 drones from restricted airspace crossed each 11 U.S. big cities since the commencement of the FIFA World Cup tournament," the bureau said successful a abstracted statement.

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The Transportation Security Administration antecedently told FOX Local that the national government, led by the White House Task Force and moving alongside the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Federal Aviation Administration and authorities and section instrumentality enforcement, launched a coordinated airspace information and drone mitigation cognition for the tournament.

"Unauthorized drone flights successful restricted areas are a superior usurpation of national law," a TSA spokesperson told FOX Local. "Operators tin look fines up to $100,000, drone seizure, and national transgression charges. Enforcement is swift and proactive."

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Fans of the United States bask the ambiance earlier the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D lucifer betwixt Türkiye and the U.S. astatine Los Angeles Stadium successful Inglewood, Calif., connected June 25, 2026. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The FAA has designated each World Cup stadium and authoritative instrumentality lawsuit arsenic a "No Drone Zone," informing that "unauthorized drone flights are strictly prohibited successful the designated airspace and surrounding grounds." During large sporting events, the bureau establishes Temporary Flight Restrictions, oregon TFRs, to unafraid the airspace astir venues and support players, fans, teams and instrumentality enforcement operations.

The restrictions widen beyond stadiums. The FAA has besides imposed impermanent drone bans astir authoritative instrumentality festival sites successful big cities, including Houston's East Downtown District, Dallas Fair Park, New York's Rockefeller Center, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Philadelphia's Lemon Hill Park. The bureau says further restrictions whitethorn besides beryllium implemented astir squad hotels, grooming sites and different tournament-related locations.

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Federal officials pass the consequences tin beryllium steep. According to the FAA, operators who interruption those restrictions "may face" civilian penalties of up to $75,000 per violation, transgression fines of up to $100,000, confiscation of their drone and national transgression prosecution. The bureau has besides deployed its Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response, oregon DETER, inaugural to accelerate investigations during the World Cup.

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Fans spell done information during a U.S. Men's National Team assemblage grooming league astatine Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium successful Irvine connected June 8, 2026, up of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images)

The nationwide crackdown has already led to dozens of enforcement actions crossed aggregate big cities.

Houston has seen 28 drone seizures since World Cup events began, according to the FBI. Seattle's full climbed to 22 aft agents seized six drones from operators who violated formation restrictions connected June 24. In Dallas, the FBI precocious announced agents confiscated 4 drones that allegedly violated Temporary Flight Restrictions implicit AT&T Stadium and the city's FIFA Fan Festival.

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Kansas City besides saw a large enforcement cognition connected June 18, erstwhile national authorities intercepted 8 drones during FIFA World Cup events aft operators allegedly violated Temporary Flight Restrictions, according to the TSA. The FBI seized each 8 drones and their controllers, portion 2 drone operators received misdemeanor usurpation notices. Officials said the counter-drone cognition besides led to the apprehension of a pistillate wanted connected six outstanding warrants.

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United States fans observe astatine the U.S. Soccer House successful Venice, California, connected June 19, 2026, aft Australia's Cameron Burgess scored an ain extremity giving the United States its archetypal people successful a FIFA World Cup Group Stage - Group D match. (William Navarro/Imagn Images)

"Not lone is flying drones successful TFR zones illegal, it's dangerous. My bureau is committed to keeping our assemblage and visitors harmless by keeping our skies drone free," U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price said pursuing the Kansas City operation. "If you spot a drone breaking the rules, study it. If you are flying an amerciable drone, deliberation doubly due to the fact that violators volition beryllium held accountable by the Department of Justice."

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The informing has besides been echoed by FBI tract offices crossed the country.

In Seattle, the bureau cautioned fans, "Planning to alert your drone astatine a World Cup match? Think again!" The FBI warned that "Temporary Flight Restrictions volition beryllium successful spot astir World Cup stadiums and instrumentality festivals" and that "flying a drone successful these areas is prohibited and a national crime."

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The bureau besides urged drone operators to "always cheque airspace restrictions utilizing FAA-approved B4UFLY apps oregon sojourn tfr.faa.gov" earlier flying and encouraged the nationalist to "report unsafe drone enactment instantly astatine 1-800-CALL-FBI."

Fox News' Stephanie Weaver contributed to this report.