More than 1,000 drones detected around US World Cup venues, over 300 neutralised | OneFootball

By the halfway point of the World Cup, 1,139 drones had been detected around match venues in the United States and more than 300 neutralised without force, Andrew Giuliani said on Monday.

According to L'Équipe, Giuliani, who leads the White House team for the tournament, delivered the update at the FBI-supervised International Police Cooperation Center near Washington.

He said detections occurred within restricted flight zones around World Cup sites. Doug Olson, an FBI coordinator for the tournament, said agents had seized more than 500 drones as evidence for investigations.

The United States has made counter-drone measures central to tournament security, which it is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, committing several hundred million dollars. Local authorities have been granted wider powers to jam and intercept devices, and dozens of officers in the 11 US host cities have received specialist training at an FBI facility.

In mid-June, the FBI said it had foiled a plot targeting an MMA fight night at the White House on Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, involving plans to send explosive-laden drones into the area.

During the Paris 2024 Olympics, French authorities recorded more than 350 drone incursions, leading to 81 arrests, according to a National Assembly report.

Source: L'Équipe