CHAMBLEE, Ga. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it confiscated 95 drones that were flown illegally in restricted airspace during FIFA World Cup matches in Atlanta.
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On Tuesday, the FBI Atlanta Field Office displayed some of the drones seized during the operation and shared video showing agents tracking down one of the devices.
According to the FBI, flying drones in the restricted area around Mercedes-Benz Stadium during World Cup events was prohibited under a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR).
“We see 95 drones and so what we had behind us is just a smaller sampling of what we have in evidence,” said Special Agent Marlo Graham with the FBI Atlanta Field Office.
The FBI said most of the drone operators did not appear to have criminal intentions.
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“I will say we did not have a lot of nefarious intended, minded folks out there, so that was fantastic, but we did have people that were unfamiliar with the T.F.R,” Graham said.
Federal agents said they were able to track the drones back to their pilots and are now working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine what charges or fines those operators could face.
The operation could also serve as a model for future major events in Atlanta, including the Super Bowl.
“I think you will see going forward for large-scale events. You will see a drone mitigation feature similar to what we just ran here for FIFA. And that will include basically collaboration between federal, state and local partners,” Graham said.
The FBI said it believes drone owners will have a way to recover their confiscated drones, along with what officials described as a stern warning not to fly in restricted airspace again.
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