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FBI Leads Counter-Drone Push for World Cup Venues

Officials are racing to close airspace gaps that past lapses exposed.

Overview

  • The FBI is preparing city command centers and drone-detection posts at U.S. host stadiums, with NewsNation reporting plans to fly bureau-operated drones to spot intruders.
  • The FBI’s National Counter-UAS Training Center in Huntsville has run two-week courses that trained local officers from all 11 host sites alongside Secret Service partners.
  • Officials say the program teaches police to find, track, and if needed neutralize drones, using hands-on drills and a final field exercise to build shared tactics.
  • The New York Post reports $250 million in federal funds this year for counter-drone work, including $3.2 million for Texas sites and $17 million for New York and New Jersey operations.
  • Authorities are keeping specific tools under wraps after a 2024 House report found a Secret Service detector failed in Butler, Pennsylvania, as the World Cup’s 39-day, three-nation footprint raises coordination challenges.