FBI CONCLUDES FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 SECURITY OPERATIONS AT LEVI’S STADIUM WITH NO SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS

SAN FRANCISCO — The FBI San Francisco Field Office has concluded its security operations supporting the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches held at Levi’s Stadium, reporting that the tournament ended without any significant security incidents affecting the matches or associated fan events.

The successful conclusion followed more than a year of planning among federal, state, local, international and private-sector partners. Security operations involved real-time intelligence sharing, threat assessments, venue protection, investigations of suspicious activity, critical-infrastructure security and coordinated emergency-response capabilities across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Levi’s Stadium is located in Santa Clara, placing the venue and surrounding tournament activity within a region supported by numerous law-enforcement agencies, transportation systems, emergency services and public-safety organizations. The scale of the event required security planning extending beyond the stadium to fan gatherings, transit routes, nearby infrastructure and other locations used by athletes, officials and visitors.

“The successful completion of the FIFA World Cup at Levi’s Stadium is a testament to what can be accomplished when law enforcement and public safety partners operate as one team,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble of the FBI San Francisco Field Office. “For more than a year, our personnel worked alongside local, state, federal, and international partners to identify threats, strengthen security, and ensure fans could enjoy one of the world’s largest sporting events safely. While much of our work happened behind the scenes, our mission remained constant—to protect the public while preserving the spirit of this global celebration.”

FBI personnel assigned to the operation included intelligence analysts, bomb technicians, crisis-response personnel, tactical teams, cyber specialists, aviation assets, evidence-response teams and counter-unmanned aircraft system personnel.

The FBI also participated in multi-agency command centers and intelligence-fusion operations designed to provide participating agencies with a shared view of emerging threats. Those centers allowed authorities to evaluate reports, distribute intelligence and coordinate responses without relying on isolated agency operations.

Security planning addressed conventional threats, suspicious packages, unauthorized drones, cyber activity, threats against critical infrastructure, trafficking activity and other criminal or public-safety concerns associated with large international events. The absence of a significant incident did not indicate an absence of threats or enforcement activity. It reflected the ability of participating agencies to identify, investigate and mitigate potential risks before they disrupted the tournament.

The Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration supported the operation.

Local fire departments, emergency medical services, public-transit agencies, stadium security personnel, FIFA officials and numerous local, state, federal and international law-enforcement organizations also participated in the coordinated security effort.

Unauthorized drone activity remained one of the most visible enforcement concerns surrounding FIFA World Cup events. Temporary flight restrictions and protected airspace were established around tournament locations to prevent unmanned aircraft from interfering with security operations, aircraft movements, emergency responses or spectators.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security seized more than 700 unauthorized drones nationwide during FIFA World Cup 2026 operations. Within the FBI San Francisco Area of Responsibility, authorities cited 22 drone operators and seized 18 drones in support of tournament security.

Counter-unmanned aircraft system operations allow authorized personnel to detect, track, identify and, when legally permitted, mitigate drones operating within protected airspace. The authority to take action against an unmanned aircraft is restricted by federal law and is limited to designated federal departments and approved operations.

Unauthorized drones near major sporting events can create risks extending beyond intentional attacks. An aircraft flown carelessly or without awareness of flight restrictions can interfere with helicopters, emergency-response aircraft, law-enforcement operations and large crowds. Operators remain responsible for identifying active airspace restrictions before launching a drone.

Federal and local authorities also conducted expanded human-trafficking enforcement operations during the tournament.

Between June 9 and July 2, coordinated operations across San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Mountain View and Campbell resulted in contact with 53 victims for recovery services. Authorities successfully recovered 11 minor victims, arrested 25 suspected traffickers and seized multiple firearms.

Those arrests represent enforcement actions and do not establish guilt. Any person charged in connection with the operations remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The Santa Clara County Human Trafficking Task Force, working closely with the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, led a joint law-enforcement command post responsible for monitoring threats and coordinating enforcement activity within Santa Clara County.

Additional operations across the Bay Area involved the San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Justice, Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Oakland Police Department, Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department, FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

FBI intelligence analysts and victim-services specialists supported the command-post operations by monitoring and evaluating information received through the FBI Threat Operations Center. Victim-service personnel provide support separate from the investigative and prosecutorial process, helping recovered individuals access emergency assistance, safety planning and other services based on their circumstances.

Large international sporting events can create conditions that trafficking organizations attempt to exploit, including increased travel, temporary employment, hotel activity, online advertisements and large concentrations of visitors. Federal authorities have cautioned that trafficking operations are not confined to major events and continue throughout the year.

Nationwide enforcement connected with the World Cup security period produced broader results. From June 8 through July 19, the FBI worked with federal, state and local partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to conduct more than 100 operations involving over 130 partner agencies.

Those operations resulted in the recovery of 33 minor victims, the identification of 38 adult victims and the location of nine minors who had been actively reported missing. Authorities arrested 80 alleged offenders, seized 15 firearms and recovered approximately $220,000 in U.S. currency.

The recovery of minor victims, identification of adult victims and location of missing children represent separate operational outcomes. Each category can involve different legal circumstances, investigative requirements and victim-support needs.

The FIFA World Cup operation demonstrated that security for a major international event extends beyond uniformed officers positioned outside a stadium. Intelligence collection, cyber defense, airspace protection, trafficking investigations, transit security, emergency medical readiness and rapid interagency communication all formed part of the protective operation.

The FBI said the partnerships strengthened and lessons learned during the tournament will support future large-scale security operations throughout the Bay Area and elsewhere in the United States.

Federal authorities continue encouraging members of the public to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or through the FBI’s online tip system at tips.fbi.gov. Emergency situations and crimes in progress should be reported immediately through 911.

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