DHS Acknowledges Counter-Drone Gap One Week Before World Cup Kickoff

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told the House Homeland Security Committee on June 3 that drones remain his primary security concern as the FIFA World Cup approaches, even as he characterized the department's overall preparations as reaching a "comfortable" position. "The biggest concern I have is, honestly, with drone defense," Mullin said during the fiscal year 2027 budget hearing. Mullin confirmed that all 11 World Cup stadiums are now equipped with counter-drone systems, while acknowledging a broader gap in the field: "We have spent a tremendous amount of ability and money to be able to be very offensive with drones, but on the counter-drone measures, everybody's a little behind."

The acknowledgment came as DHS grapples with the residual effects of a prolonged government shutdown in the weeks before the tournament begins. A $625 million DHS grant program to support World Cup security operations was not distributed to host cities during the shutdown period, forcing those cities to weigh canceling fan events and making reductions elsewhere. Mullin said the shutdown, which lasted 76 days, put the department behind on FIFA preparations, and added, "We're not totally caught up." Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar told the committee that DHS has released approximately $6 billion in FEMA funds since Mullin assumed the role.

The statutory underpinning for the federal counter-drone effort runs through multiple channels. The C-UAS grant program aligns with an executive order on Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty, and recipients may use funds to detect, identify, track, or mitigate unmanned aircraft systems. The program was established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which authorizes $500 million in federal funding over two years to enhance state and local counter-drone capabilities. Under the first tranche, FEMA awarded $250 million to 11 World Cup host states and the National Capital Region. Separately, DHS's newly created Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems finalized a $115 million investment in counter-drone technologies directed at securing World Cup venues and America250 commemorations.

The legal authority to actually disable hostile drones remains a contested issue. Under current law, only federal agencies, including DHS and the Department of Justice, are authorized to intercept or disable drones. A House bill that would extend those powers to local law enforcement has stalled, and the administration has been considering temporary DOJ waivers that would allow states and cities to neutralize hostile drones during high-risk events. The Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI are also engaged in counter-drone operations alongside DHS. Interoperability across those agencies presents a parallel challenge. The FBI uses different communications tools than DHS, and both use different tools than local law enforcement, with observers noting that the various systems do not connect to each other.

The Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems was created on Jan. 12, 2026, and represents a significant operational shift in how the department addresses the evolving drone threat. It was preceded, however, by institutional gaps that Mullin's testimony made explicit. Prior to the shutdown's resolution, more than $600 million in FEMA security grants for host cities had been delayed. Rep. Michael McCaul raised concerns that any funding delay threatened to hamper planning and intelligence sharing among cities, federal agencies, and law enforcement fusion centers. The shutdown also curtailed training cycles. The disruption delayed or canceled planned security assessments, procurement of C-UAS systems, and training on new equipment at transportation venues.

The 2026 tournament spans 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and is estimated to draw a global viewership of approximately 6 billion people. With the first U.S. matches set to begin within days, host cities have been racing to establish counter-UAS capabilities. DHS officials have emphasized that effective counter-drone operations depend on strong interagency collaboration, given that multiple agencies and private sector partners will each bring their own C-UAS systems to bear, and that without coordination those systems can interfere with each other and leave gaps in coverage. Mullin's testimony signals that the coordination challenge, not equipment availability alone, is the variable that concerns the department most heading into the tournament.