The FBI warned police departments in California in current days that Iran may retaliate for American assaults by launching drones on the West Coast, in keeping with an alert reviewed by ABC Information.
“We lately acquired data that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a shock assault utilizing unmanned aerial autos from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United State Homeland, particularly towards unspecified targets in California, within the occasion that the US performed strikes towards Iran,” in keeping with the alert distributed on the finish of February. “We’ve got no extra data on the timing, technique, goal, or perpetrators of this alleged assault.”
The warning got here simply because the Trump administration launched its ongoing assault towards the Islamic Republic. Iran has been retaliating with drone strikes towards targets all through the Mideast.
A spokeswoman for the FBI workplace in LA declined to remark.
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
U.S. intelligence officers have additionally grown involved in current months concerning the increasing use of drones by Mexican drug cartels and the possibility the expertise might be used to assault American forces and personnel close to the Mexican border.
“An uncorroborated report recommended that unidentified Mexican cartel leaders had licensed assaults utilizing UAS (drones) carrying explosives towards US regulation enforcement and US navy personnel alongside the US-Mexico border,” in keeping with a September 2025 bulletin reviewed by ABC Information. “This sort of assault towards US personnel or pursuits inside america can be unprecedented however exemplifies a believable situation, though (cartels) usually keep away from actions that may lead to undesirable consideration or responses from US authorities.”
ABC Information contributor John Cohen, the previous head of intelligence for the Division of Homeland Safety, stated he’s involved about the potential of drone warfare coming from each the Pacific and Mexico.
“We all know Iran has an intensive presence in Mexico and South America, they’ve relationships, they’ve the drones and now they’ve the motivation to conduct assaults,” Cohen stated. “The FBI is sensible for placing this warning out in order that state and locals might be higher capable of put together and reply to some of these threats. Info like that is critically necessary for regulation enforcement.”
Whereas the FBI’s warning didn’t specify how or when vessels carrying assault drones may get shut sufficient to the U.S. mainland, intelligence officers have lengthy been involved about tools being pre-positioned – both on land or on ships at sea — within the occasion Israel or the U.S. struck Iran.
