ATLANTA — The FBI and Atlanta Police Department are conducting a large-scale security operation ahead of the World Cup semifinals between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium. Both agencies are deploying drones to monitor for potential threats both on the ground and in the air.

The FBI is enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration's Temporary Flight Restrictions around the venue. Since the World Cup began, the FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones nationwide, with Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office Marlo Graham stating that 86 of those drones were seized in Atlanta alone. Graham explained that the FBI uses a specialized "mechanism" to detect unauthorized drones in restricted airspace and has successfully landed such drones safely.

Kindu Franklin noted that most individuals caught flying drones near World Cup venues are hobbyists without any intent to harm spectators. Anais Paredes, an Atlanta Police Department (APD) drone pilot, added, "We live here, so we know what to expect."

The drone unit has completed over 1,400 flights and logged more than 550 flight hours since early June. Authorities emphasized the proactive nature of their operations, citing concerns about the potential weaponization of drones and the risk of interference with the game. As one official put it, "We don't want the game to be impacted because a hobbyist couldn't control their drone, and it lands right when one of our star players was getting ready to score a goal."

The closed dome stadium in Atlanta also provides a controlled environment that aids security efforts.

Sources