WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Over the past year, the Committee’s “Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States” worked to ensure the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament would be safe and secure for fans, visitors, and athletes from around…

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Over the past year, the Committee’s “Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States” worked to ensure the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament would be safe and secure for fans, visitors, and athletes from around the world by helping to provide the necessary resources, authorities, and oversight to meet today’s threat environment.

Following the successful conclusion of the tournament, the Task Force is preparing to release its final report in the coming weeks, which will outline the threat landscape, oversight efforts, and recommendations to protect future events. Moving forward, the Committee will conduct oversight to ensure insights gathered during preparations for the World Cup and its execution inform future mass-gathering events on U.S. soil, such as the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics.

Read more on the Committee’s work over the last year and the success of the tournament below.

COUNTERING ROGUE DRONE THREATS:
 

“The FBI said it has seized more than 700 illegal drones — and detected almost 1,600 in total — around the 11 stadiums in the United States during the World Cup. The agency added in a statement on its website that the threat of drones is ‘a growing problem at special events’, which is why it has put in place the ‘most comprehensive airspace security and drone mitigation effort in U.S. history’…’”

One of the Committee’s top priorities ahead of the tournament was addressing the evolving threats stemming from the unauthorized use of drones. In response to this threat, the Committee helped deliver significant federal investments into C-UAS capabilities in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July 2025. The legislation contained $500 million for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement in enhancing their ability to detect, identify, track, and monitor drone threats.

In May 2025, the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology held a hearing to assess security measures and federal, state, local, and private-sector coordination efforts for mass-gathering events, in which witnesses called for expanded counter-drone authorities:

Donald Barnes, Sheriff-Coroner at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department
“The unauthorized misuse of drones represents a significant security concern for mass events and public safety. Lawmakers must establish a legal framework that provides broad-based but carefully regulated authority for locals to deploy and operate counter-UAS systems.”

John Junell, Chief Security Officer at Live Nation Entertainment
 “As a private entity, we lack the authority to counter drone activity, and law enforcement often lacks necessary capabilities and authority to respond… We urge Congress to grant mitigation authority to qualified local law enforcement agencies.”

Jeremy Hammond, Assistant Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference
“We’re encouraged by the efforts of both the Senate and the House to introduce legislation that would allow federal agencies to deputize local officials with the authority to mitigate drone threats with the proper training and the access to the advanced technology, and finally, access to intelligence, staffing, equipment, and funding resources that modernize public safety posture at our events.” 

In December 2025, Congress passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provided qualifying state and local law enforcement agencies with the authorities to combat drone threats. Following that expansion, the Task Force held a hearing with the National Sheriffs’ Association.

Jonathan Thompson, then-Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for the National Sheriffs’ Association 
“The Sheriffs’ [Association] wants to thank the Committee and the House for including language in the NDAA that allows us, with proper training and guardrails, to mitigate drones at mass gatherings, another safety initiative, welcomed, very welcomed.”

In June 2026, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified in the Committee’s annual budget hearing, highlighting how the Department and its partners were working to mitigate drone threats ahead of the World Cup and other major international events:

Markwayne Mullin, Department of Homeland Security Secretary 
“Counter-UAS is, I think, the largest concern that I have on a daily basis… And the fact that we’re able to partner with Alabama to be able to put this center there, to be able to bring local law enforcement from all over the country and really, quite frankly, we’re going to be bringing people from all over the world to be able to train in this facility and continue to grow and collaborate with those that have the best technology, the best ability, work with the private-public partnership is invaluable. And we look forward to seeing what that’s going to produce by 2028 when the Olympics are here.”

In April, Committee members, led by Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Dale W. Strong (R-AL), visited the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Center (NCUTC) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

COORDINATING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND STATE & LOCALS:

“Seventy-eight Super Bowls in 38 days. This was the scale of the task facing the Federal Bureau of Investigation going into the first World Cup final the United States has hosted in more than 30 years… The tournament shattered previous attendance records and brought millions of international visitors to the country. The FBI dedicated nearly 5,000 personnel to the effort, including more than 4,000 from field offices, 800 from FBI headquarters and two legal attaché offices, along with support from 59 Homeland Security task forces.”

“[T]he past five and a half weeks demonstrated that our different levels of government are, even now, capable of joining together to get things done. In New York and New Jersey, where I served as chair of the host committee, we worked across state and city lines to lodge players and teams, get spectators to games, coordinate fan festivals, and more. No less importantly, despite political differences, we were able to count on partners throughout the Federal Government, who supported states and cities with funding, coordination, and infrastructure development.”

The House Homeland Security Committee’s budget reconciliation measures included $625 million for World Cup host cities to enhance security for the tournament.

In June 2025, the Task Force visited Audi Field, a location for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, to discuss security preparations––including screening activities, detecting malign drones, and law enforcement coordination.

The next month, the Task Force held its inaugural hearing to examine security lessons learned from previous attacks at mass gatherings, in which witnesses highlighted the law enforcement coordination that would help secure the games:

Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Sheriff of Miami-Dade County
“The adoption of an integrated communication system is essential. Real-time, synchronized communication among all stakeholders, including law enforcement, emergency response services, event organizers, and local authorities, ensure seamless information flow and coordinated responses… By embracing technology advancement, fostering interagency cooperation, and implementing a comprehensive training program, we remain committed to the ensuring of a secure and exceptional experience for all the participants of FIFA 2026.”

Stacey Graves, Chief of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department 
“We are ever so grateful for the One Big Beautiful Bill providing $625 million for planning and security costs relating to the 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities… We respectfully request Congress to prioritize the following: Authorize the deployment of unmanned aerial systems, UAS detection, and counter-UAS technology at local and regional levels.”

In September 2025, the Task Force visited MetLife Stadium, the location for the final match of the World Cup tournament. At the stadium, members and officials discussed the current threat landscape on U.S. soil and globally, highlighting the security preparations that were underway to stay ahead of the evolving tactics of malign actors.

That month, the Committee, led by Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) hosted a roundtable with representatives from FIFA and the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28):

G. B. Jones, Chief Safety and Security Officer at FIFA World Cup 2026
 “We call for robust collaboration to ensure comprehensive name checks for all accredited individuals, including internal FBI name checks and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) queries. This is vital for timely and actionable threat intelligence and awareness, mitigation of potential insider threats, and alignment with best practices for major international events… [F]inally, maintenance or expansion of baseline capability and public safety technical training programs.”  

In February 2026, the Committee convened a hearing to examine how state and local governments are working with private-sector partners and federal agencies to ensure the successful collection, analysis, and sharing of information to combat evolving threats across jurisdictions, including through the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A):

Ray Martinez, Chief Operating Officer of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee 
“On behalf of the 11 U.S. World Cup Committees, I want to thank this Committee for providing the $625 million in security funding to the host cities. Those resources are critical to ensuring that host committees have capabilities necessary to execute a safe and secure tournament across multiple weeks and venues… We appreciate the congressional support, and particularly this Committee, as well as President Trump’s administration, for dedicated counter-UAS funding to support these efforts… Miami’s preparedness reflects the ongoing coordinated efforts of all 11 U.S. host committees as we work each day to ensure a safe and secure and successful FIFA World Cup.”

Joseph Mabin, Deputy Chief of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department 
“Central to our approach is timely, actionable information sharing with local, state, federal, and international partners… We are grateful for this committee’s work and support towards World Cup safety and security. The counter-UAS authorities under the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act provide critical resources to detect, track, and mitigate UAS threats. The FIFA World Cup Security Grant Program is necessary to fund the personnel, equipment, and operational needs required to deliver a safe event.” 
 

COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING:

“A months-long operation targeting human trafficking and child exploitation during the FIFA World Cup led to dozens of arrests and the recovery of nearly 30 victims, according to Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable. Officials said planning for the operation began in October 2025 as Gable’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit prepared for the increased risk of trafficking often associated with major international events that attract large crowds. Over several months, officials said investigators worked with local, state, federal and nonprofit partners to gather intelligence, coordinate resources and develop enforcement strategies.”
 

In December 2025, the Task Force held a hearing to assess efforts to prevent human trafficking at upcoming mass-gathering events on U.S. soil. Witnesses emphasized the need for strong coordination between federal, state, local, and industry partners to identify and dismantle organized crime:
 

Courtney Litvak, Director of Survivor Leader Initiatives for No Trafficking Zone and human trafficking survivor
“When we treat sports and entertainment venues as trafficking markets, build an informed task force, collaborate with federal law enforcement, integrate intelligence and center survivor leadership, we move from awareness to action and from reaction to prevention. Let us all work together to hold stakeholders accountable in order to make FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and all mass gatherings, no trafficking zones.”

Eliza McCoy, Vice President of Programs and Impact at American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation
“In the hotel industry, we have had a long-standing commitment to being at the ready from a training perspective and operational perspective, and certainly when we have large events such as the ones we’ve talked about today, we take the opportunity to amplify those efforts to reinforce them. But it certainly is something that has become an automatic component to every employee’s experience in our industry, and something that we just continue to double down on when we have the attention and the awareness from these major events.”

PROTECTING THE TRAVELING PUBLIC AND PRESERVING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:
 

“From a secure operations floor inside FEMA’s Washington headquarters, officials spend about 30 minutes running through the day’s World Cup matches, touching on everything from extreme heat advisories and fan festivals to cartel activity in Mexico, drone threats, visa issues and stadium security… The command center resembles a national emergency operations center more than a sports headquarters. Ten Homeland Security agencies including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, and FEMA work side-by-side on a watch floor staffed around the clock. The State Operations Coordination Center for Event Response — yes another “SOCCER” acronym — is also involved.”

“The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI), biometric systems, and advanced screening technologies to support security operations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, a senior agency official said on May 28… As part of that effort, CBP is expanding biometric comparison capabilities across primary inspection systems to speed identity verification and reduce reliance on passport scanning.”

Through the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Committee also provided resources for the Biometric Entry/Exit System utilized at ports of entry, as well as the National Vetting Center, which helps identify potential public safety or national security threats before they enter the country.
 
In May 2026, the Committee held a hearing to explore policy proposals that would modernize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to bolster aviation security and improve the travel experience ahead of major events:

Chris McLaughlin, CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) 
“Our officers have to continually get more efficient, with better and better tools in their hands, the same way that every other aspect of our society has evolved. That’s how we address major events like FIFA, major events like the Olympics. That’s how we prepare for the next iteration of aviation security in the U.S.”

In April 2026, following government shutdowns, the House of Representatives advanced a DHS FY2026 appropriations bill that included funding for TSA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which includes the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which includes preparedness grants for communities, and I&A, which utilizes fusions centers across the country alongside state and local law enforcement.

In the Committee’s annual budget hearing in June, DHS Secretary Mullin also testified on the critical security preparations that were underway, including transportation security:

Markwayne Mullin, Department of Homeland Security Secretary
 “[TSA] touches more Americans and more people on a daily basis than any other government agency… We feel like when we really bring in the private sector, we’ll be able to expand and be ready once again. We have five to seven million visitors coming in for FIFA. We’re going to have more than that in 2028 during the Olympics, and we need that process to continue to move without interruption.”

The next day, the Committee visited FEMA headquarters following the start of hurricane season and ahead of World Cup kickoff.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE:

“‘From a public safety perspective, I think that went very, very well,’ ​Benedict told Reuters in an interview. The number of matches, the size of our matches, having two matches with Iran … all ​of our law enforcement partners, our federal assets and even our local assets worked collaboratively to create a very safe environment.’ The run served as a high-profile test for a venue that will host February’s Super Bowl, as well as swimming and the opening ceremony for the 2028 ​Los Angeles Olympics.”

 To kickstart oversight of security preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Chairman Garbarino and Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) met with executivesat LA28 headquarters in May to discuss coordination between federal, state, local, and private sector partners.

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