Federal authorities became adept at hunting down drones during the FIFA World Cup, intercepting nearly 2,000 drones over the course of the tournament. According to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, security teams brought down drones before operators could remove them from cars.
Security Efforts
Mullin revealed that many of the drones belonged to spectators hoping for a bird’s-eye view of the matches. However, others raised more serious concerns, with authorities believing some operators were intentionally probing security perimeters around stadiums and fan festivals.
Some drones were licensed individuals trying to push boundaries, while others were seen as actual threats. Authorities had technology to locate operators before many drones took flight, even when launched from outside established perimeters.
The established no-fly zones extended three miles and 3,000 feet around stadiums, along with one-mile and 1,000-foot restrictions surrounding FIFA Fan Festivals. Security teams averaged more than 30 intercepted drones per match, not including additional incidents around fan festivals and after games concluded.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
