DHS Says World Cup Security Downed Nearly 2,000 Drones, Thwarting 1 Fan Fest Vehicle Threat
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
DHS Says World Cup Security Downed Nearly 2,000 Drones, Thwarting 1 Fan Fest Vehicle Threat
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
Summary
Nearly 2,000 drones were brought down during the FIFA World Cup, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, with security teams sometimes locating operators before drones even left car trunks.
More than 30 drones per match were intercepted on average because many spectators sought aerial footage, while others appeared to be testing stadium and fan-festival security perimeters.
Roughly 700 drones were confiscated under no-fly zones stretching 3 miles and 3,000 feet around stadiums, plus 1 mile and 1,000 feet around FIFA Fan Festivals.
Mullin also said authorities disrupted one imminent vehicle-based threat aimed at a Fan Fest, crediting coordination among federal, state and local agencies.
The disclosure broadens earlier local tallies such as Miami-Dade's 138 drone seizures, underscoring how drone enforcement became a central layer of tournament security.