FBI cracks down on illegal drones during LA World Cup events; lessons for 2028 Olympic Games

On the heels of a successful FIFA World Cup and with the 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon, the head of the Los Angeles FBI field office says a big concern heading into the games is weaponized drones.

Agents are preparing to deal with the potential threat as the agency shares how they used their own drones to track down illegal drone operators during World Cup events in LA.

"Of the 700 drones seized across the United States 59 were seized here in Los Angeles," - Patrick Grandy, FBI Assistant Director in Charge, LA, said.

New FBI video shows agents tracking down people illegally flying drones during the World Cup games and events, confiscating them and citing the operators.

These suspected illegal drone operators were flying them near Sofi Stadium and the fan zone at the Coliseum, violating a temporarily ban.

The head of the FBI's LA field office says none of the drones they seized were weaponized.

"Obviously, on one extreme is that drones that carries a payload and is weaponized. That is obviously something you're seeing quite frequently overseas and something that we're concerned about here in the United States,"  Grandy said.

Emphasizing that any drone can be a threat in a restricted area, the FBI referred to an incident last year during the LA fires when a man flew his drone into a Super Scooper water dropping airship, grounding it for five days. The operator was fined $65,000.

"Careless and clueless operation of a drone can impede helicopter operations. We've had several LAPD helicopters that have been struck by drones," Grandy said.

The FBI says Temporary Flight Restrictions will always be enforced and penalties for flying a drone, even if it's just by accident, could range from a $100 fine to $100,000 and prison time.

Drone security is just one aspect of the FBI's preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl and Olympic Games. Many of the details of their planning are being kept under wraps, but officials say much is happening behind the scenes.