Federal authorities intercepted nearly 2,000 drones during security operations for the FIFA World Cup, with some drones being brought down before their operators could retrieve them from vehicles, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Mullin described the effectiveness of the security teams on "The Will Cain Show," stating they became so adept at drone interception that they could detect and disable them even before operators could remove them from car trunks. "We started being able to recognize where they're at," Mullin said.
While many intercepted drones belonged to spectators seeking aerial views of matches, Mullin noted that some posed more significant concerns. Authorities suspected that certain operators were deliberately testing security perimeters around stadiums and fan festivals. "Some of them we felt like was actual a threat, that they were testing the perimeter," Mullin explained. "Those are some of the drones that we confiscated."
Security protocols established three-mile no-fly zones and 3,000-foot altitude restrictions around stadiums, with additional one-mile and 1,000-foot restrictions around FIFA Fan Festivals. According to Mullin's estimates, security teams averaged over 30 drone interceptions per match, not including incidents at fan festivals or after games concluded. In total, authorities confiscated approximately 700 drones and downed close to 2,000.
Mullin also disclosed that federal, state, and local officials thwarted an imminent threat directed at a World Cup Fan Fest. He indicated that this threat involved the use of vehicles but declined to specify the location, emphasizing the successful coordination between federal agencies.