Here’s where to operate legally

A 26-year-old Texas man who tried to capture video footage of a church in Houston is accused of illegally operating a drone too close to a World Cup event, as authorities across the country crack down on unauthorized flights.

John Alexander Meza of La Porte, Texas, allegedly flew a DJI Mavic 3 in restricted airspace in Houston on June 11, the opening day of the FIFA tournament. He did not have a remote pilot license, did not check flight restrictions, and the drone was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. criminal complaint It was stated that he applied to the Southern District of Texas. In the document, prosecutors wrote that his flight lasted two minutes and reached just over 200 feet.

Meza’s attorney is not listed in court records and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

He is one of hundreds of people in trouble for illegally operating drones near FIFA venues in World Cup host cities. The Federal Aviation Administration has established “national defense airspace” around stadiums and official fan events and designated them as follows: “no drone zones” for security reasons.

“Flying in a restricted area is not only dangerous, it is a federal crime.” said Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.. “Temporary flight restrictions protect fans, players and critical infrastructure from accidents and safety threats.”

The FBI has so far seized more than 500 drones since the start of the World Cup.

“This is exactly what we envisioned – working with our interagency partners to reduce the drone threat and keep every game, every fan, and every athlete safe during these historic World Cup games,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement to CNN. “We have more work to do and we will continue to work 24 hours a day…”

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Video released by the FBI’s Atlanta office It shows FBI agents and other law enforcement examining drones found flying in places where they shouldn’t be and questioning pilots.

An FBI special agent wrote that on June 12, the Atlanta command center detected an unauthorized drone flying near the fan festival at Centennial Olympic Park. a criminal complaint. Tracking systems gave precise GPS coordinates of the operator’s location, and agents said they found Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez flying the drone. He told agents he was filming festival-related events, according to the complaint.

The FBI determined that he was in the United States illegally, had been deported twice before, and had previous convictions for cocaine distribution. He was arrested and remains in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Rojas-Martinez does not yet have an attorney, according to court records.

If you are planning to use a drone next month, there are some rules you need to follow to avoid possible expenses.

No drone zone

There are 11 stadiums hosting World Cup matches, all covered by extensive restricted airspace.

These venue locations include: SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Levi’s Stadium in the Bay Area, Lumen Field in Seattle, AT&T Stadium near Dallas-Fort Worth, NRG Stadium in Houston, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Gillette Stadium near Boston, Hard Rock Stadium near Miami, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

According to the FAA, all aircraft operations around stadiums, including drones, are prohibited within a 3 nautical mile (3.5 legal mile) radius and up to 3,000 feet above ground level, unless otherwise authorized by air traffic control.

The FAA also restricts drone use at fan event venues such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dallas Fair Park and Rockefeller Center in New York. The FAA said more locations may be added and the list may change.

The large “drone-free” area has also led to accusations against operators who take photos of things unrelated to the World Cup.

On June 13, Patrick Phillip Heer, 34, of Katy, Texas, was allegedly observed by law enforcement flying a drone near the FIFA World Cup Fan Zone just east of downtown Houston. a federal criminal complaint He said he was trying to get footage of his significant other’s real estate business. He told FBI agents that he did not have the proper license and that although he was aware of what the temporary flight restrictions were, he did not check to see if there were any restrictions, the complaint said.

Heer’s lawyer declined to comment.

All airspace restrictions, FAA’s websiteand is included in B4UFLY Applications for recreational unmanned pilots.

Drone remote controls can also warn pilots when they are about to take off in restricted airspace.

“A pilot would likely have received a message from his controller stating that he was operating his drone in restricted airspace,” the FBI wrote in one of the criminal complaints. “The pilot should have clicked and confirmed the message before it disappeared.”

Violators may face serious consequences

The FAA said drone operators who trespass into restricted airspace could face fines of up to $100,000, drone forfeiture, loss of remote license and federal criminal charges.

So far, the FBI and its partners have seized more than 48 drones in Los Angeles, 98 in Miami, 29 in Seattle, 63 in Dallas, 77 in Atlanta, 40 in New York, nine in Newark and 33 in Houston. CNN also reached out to offices in San Francisco, Boston, Kansas City and Philadelphia to get the latest numbers.

“As fans around the world gather in stadiums and fan events across the country for the FIFA World Cup, the FAA is using every tool available to protect airspace, including stronger drone enforcement efforts,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Drone operators should expect swift action if they violate restricted airspace.”

in 2026 The FAA has updated its enforcement policy to require legal action if drone operations endanger the public, violate airspace restrictions, or are conducted in furtherance of another crime.

In recent years, FAA fined many operators.

In May 2024, a remote pilot was fined $20,370 for flying a drone over people at the Sunfest Music Festival in West Palm Beach, Florida, resulting in the plane crashing into a tree.

Another pilot was fined $14,790 in February 2023 for operating a drone during the Super Bowl near State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

This summer, the FBI said it would not back down from prosecuting anyone caught violating restricted airspace rules.

“If a drone operator is going to fly a drone (in restricted airspace), we’re going to mitigate that,” James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the New York FBI Field Office, told CNN. “We will go and potentially get their drones.”

criminal complaint Filed in Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division Honduran national Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez allegedly flew a DJI Mini 3 pro drone near Dallas Stadium on June 14, as the first World Cup match was being played in Arlington, Texas. The complaint alleges that the drone had a feature that would warn it of restricted airspace.

CNN has reached out to Flores Ordonez’s attorney for comment. If convicted of that crime, he faces up to three years in federal prison.

“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where temporary flight restrictions exist,” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph Rothrock said in a news release.

The World Cup will conclude with the final match at MetLife Stadium on July 19, but restrictions on drone flights at future sporting events, airports, critical infrastructure and other areas will still apply.

CNN’s Mark Morales contributed to this report.

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