ATLANTA — In preparation for the World Cup semifinals between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 14, 2026, the FBI and Atlanta Police Department (APD) have launched a comprehensive security operation targeting unauthorized drones.

Both agencies are deploying drones to monitor potential threats both on the ground and in the air. The FBI is actively enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration's Temporary Flight Restrictions around the venue. Since the World Cup began, the FBI has confiscated over 600 drones nationwide, with Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office Marlo Graham reporting that 86 of those were seized in Atlanta alone.

Graham explained that the FBI uses a specialized "mechanism" to detect unauthorized drones entering restricted airspace and has successfully managed to safely land such drones. He emphasized the proactive nature of the operation, noting, "There are different ways that you can weaponize these drones. So, we're operating in a proactive manner."

Kindu Franklin highlighted that most individuals caught flying drones near World Cup venues are hobbyists without malicious intent, often seeking to capture footage for social media. "In some cases, they just recently bought a drone just for FIFA to get some of the cool footage that they want to put up on their social media," Franklin said.

APD drone pilot Anais Paredes added, "We live here, so we know what to expect," underscoring the local expertise involved. The drone unit has completed more than 1,400 flights and logged over 550 flight hours since early June.

Authorities also expressed concerns about the potential disruption unauthorized drones could cause during the games. "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," officials noted.

The security measures reflect the heightened vigilance as large crowds gather in Atlanta's closed dome stadium, which offers some protection but also necessitates strict airspace control.

Sources