By David Shepardson
June 23 (Reuters) – U.S. agencies have seized over 300 drones near FIFA World Cup venues since the tournament began on June 11, the Transportation Security Administration said on Tuesday.
On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of three nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet above ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by air traffic controllers.
The FBI’s Miami field office said it had issued tickets to 49 operators of drones for unauthorized flights and seized 54 drones in Florida.
The Federal Aviation Administration has barred drones from flying over matches and related fan gatherings across the United States.
At fan gatherings, drones are barred within a one-nautical-mile radius and up to 1,000 feet above ground level.
The FAA said drone operators who enter restricted airspace without approval can face fines of up to $100,000, along with criminal charges and confiscation of their drone. The FBI also has teams stationed around World Cup stadiums to detect and disable unauthorised drones.
Last year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to bolster U.S. defenses against threatening drones and the Homeland Security Department has installed new counter-drone defense systems against drones at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
Last year a man pleaded guilty after he was charged with violating defense airspace by flying a drone over a National Football League playoff game in Baltimore in January 2025. Separately, a Massachusetts man was charged with unlawfully flying a drone near the finish line of the April 2024 Boston Marathon, which prompted law enforcement to seize it mid-air.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
