USA

Law enforcement track down drone pilots flying over World Cup venues

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

ATLANTA — The FBI and Atlanta Police Department are preparing for a major security operation ahead of the World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium.

Both agencies used drones to survey potential threats on the ground and in the sky. The FBI is enforcing Federal Aviation Administration Temporary Flight Restrictions around the event area.

The FBI has seized more than 600 drones across the country since the start of the World Cup. Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of the FBI Atlanta Field Office said 86 of these drones were seized in Atlanta.

Graham said the FBI uses a “mechanism” that allows agents to see unauthorized drones in restricted airspace. Agents then work to mitigate the threat posed by unknown drones.

“We were able to safely land the unauthorized drones in the restricted flight zone,” Graham said.

The FBI has seized more than 600 drones at World Cup events since the tournament began. (FBI Atlanta)

While the FBI treats every drone as a potential threat, Graham said the threat level could increase depending on the size of the drone and how close it gets to the stadium.

“Obviously, the closer you get to the field, the bigger the crowd is. We’re lucky to have an indoor dome stadium in Atlanta,” Graham said. “We don’t want the game to be affected because a hobbyist couldn’t control his drone and it crashed just as one of our star players was getting ready to score a goal.”

EXCLUSIVE: FBI ADDS ALLEGED COVID SCAMMER TO MOST WANTED LIST

The Atlanta Police Department’s Drone Unit helped the FBI find individuals suspected of flying in restricted areas.

Sergeant. Kindu Franklin said most of those caught flying drones around World Cup venues were hobbyists who had no intention of harming the football fan crowd.

“In some cases, they have recently purchased a drone for FIFA to get some of the great footage they want to put on their social media,” Franklin said. “There are different ways to weaponize these drones. That’s why we’re working proactively.”

The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission at the World Cup focuses on surveillance. (FOX)

The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission focuses on surveillance. Officers are looking for potential threats, traffic problems and people the FBI suspects are flying drones illegally.

“So what we want to do is give our command staff the view that they can’t do that. “Get off the ground,” said Sergeant James Cunningham of APD’s Drone Unit.

GUNMAN WAS ARRESTED AT THE US PRESIDENT’S BARRICARD WHILE POLICE INVESTIGATED WHY HE WAS GOING TO RESTRICTED AREAS

Cunningham’s unit can launch drones remotely from hand controllers. Other drones are launched from strategically placed docking stations around the city, and officers control them from the back of an SUV using a computer and a PlayStation controller.

The Atlanta Police Department is launching some drones from ports strategically placed around the city. They are controlled by a computer and a PlayStation controller. (Fox News)

Drone docks are used year-round to help police view emergencies from the air before officers arrive. The computer shows the drone pilot where all police body cameras and vehicles are in the area, allowing him to better communicate with officers on the ground.

Drone docks for the World Cup allow the department to have more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster.

“It will shorten the time. We’ll get there quickly. And then you’ll get an aerial perspective of what you can’t see on the ground,” Cunningham said.