FBI reports nine drones seized, 14 violations in first few days of World Cup festivities in Kansas City

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As the first of six FIFA World Cup matches kick off Tuesday in Kansas City, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is sounding the alarm on drone use near the stadium and celebration events.

Ahead of the games, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed temporary flight restrictions around World Cup stadiums, fan festivals and other events, including those in Kansas City. Flying or landing a drone in these areas isn't just prohibited; it's a federal crime.

Those in violation can face up to $100,000 in fines or up to a one-year prison sentence and seizure of their drone. On Monday, the FBI's Kansas City office said it's already seized nine drones and had 14 detections of people flying their drones in restricted areas.

The restricted flight area runs a 3-nautical-mile radius around Arrowhead Stadium and up to a 3,000-foot altitude.

The FBI is using counter-unmanned aircraft system capabilities to detect and combat unauthorized drone activity. The technology also helps preserve evidence for potential enforcement action, according to the FBI. 

The Missouri State Highway Patrol spent about $800,000 to counter drones in Kansas City, according to records ABC 17 News obtained.

Some of the big-ticket items include nearly $500,000 spent on counter-drone equipment and hardware from Sentrycs, designed to detect any transmitting drones in real time.

The spending included two 2026 Polaris UTVs totaling nearly $60,000, a nearly $140,000 five-day training course, and about $70,000 was spent to purchase a Ford F-350 truck as well.

The funds came from a federal Department of Homeland Security grant program that totals just over $105 million in available funding. The state of Missouri received $14.24 million for security preparations around the FIFA World Cup.

Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Eric Brown declined to talk about specifics related to the equipment to protect security operations with the World Cup still in full swing. However, Brown said the highway patrol plans to continue using all of the equipment purchased in its normal enforcement efforts after the World Cup events are over.