McCaul, Crane Urge Admin to Empower National Guard to Address Potential Drone Threats at Upcoming FIFA World Cup Games

WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul - chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events - sent a letter with U.S Congressman Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the congress members urged the administration to empower the National Guard to address potential drone-related threats and ensure a "unified federal security posture" at the games.

Full text of the letter can be found here or below.

Dear Secretary Hegseth, Acting Attorney General Blanch, and Secretary Mullin:

We are writing to request immediate interagency action from the Department of War, Justice, and Homeland Security to secure the airspace over the eleven U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Beginning June 11, the tournament's high-threat environment requires resources beyond current state and local Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capabilities.

While the Safer Skies Act was a vital step toward securing our domestic airspace, the tournament's unprecedented scale requires us to build upon that foundation immediately. Potential personnel shortages and complex jurisdictional divides between event organizers and host cities risk creating a fragmented environment that requires a unified federal security posture.

We must work towards a stronger and more unified federal operational framework to address the jurisdictional lines between FIFA and the host cities. These gaps can be met by deputizing National Guard members to perform 6 USC § 124n authorities. With its rapid deploy ability, nationwide scalability, and extensive experience responding to domestic emergencies, the National Guard is uniquely positioned to assist federal and state authorities with C-UAS mitigation and unified coordination for World Cup security.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring an unprecedented number of global spectators to our homeland, and the eyes of the world will be on the United States. Ensuring the safety of these events and attendees is a responsibility we must meet with no room for error. Thank you for your service to the country and prompt attention to this concern. We look forward to working together to secure this historic event.