An Iran‑linked hacker group is claiming that it breached FBI-operated drones and is now threatening to target the World Cup, which began this week, according to a monitoring organisation.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist and jihadist activity online, shared a statement issued by the group known as Handala. In their message, Handala claimed they had enjoyed “months” of access to “every image and every suspect” recorded by the FBI’s first-person view (FPV) drones.
According to the hackers, these drones were equipped with facial recognition tools and license plate–scanning technology used for counterterrorism efforts.
In the statement quoted by SITE, Handala warned, “Better tighten your World Cup security, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team’s bus.”
The FBI has been using drones around World Cup venues to help protect against unauthorized aircraft. Drone flights have been prohibited over U.S. stadiums hosting matches, as well as around fan zones tied to the tournament, which is being co‑hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada in its largest edition yet.
As part of a $500 million federal grant aimed at countering threats to major sporting events, local and state police have been receiving training on how to manage unauthorized drone activity during the tournament.
The U.S. Justice Department has previously cautioned about potential cyberattacks by Iranian-linked actors, particularly after U.S.‑Israeli strikes on Tehran in February that escalated conflict in the Middle East.
Handala released photos and videos it claimed were taken from the compromised drones, but SITE raised doubts about the authenticity of at least some of the material. One video, reportedly showing a drone viewpoint, was actually created in December 2024 by a software company promoting police use of its tools for assessing tornado damage, SITE said.
Earlier in March, Handala also claimed responsibility for hacking the email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and leaking personal photos and documents online.
The U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information that could help identify members of the group.
