The FBI and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said they have set up airspace restrictions for the airspace over Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, due to Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
The two agencies warned that people flying drones or unmanned aerial vehicles in the area would be targeted and face criminal charges.
“Drone operators who enter restricted airspace without authorization may face fines of up to $75,000, drone confiscation,” as well as “federal criminal charges, with the FBI identifying operators, seizing drones, and supporting prosecution,” the agencies said in a joint statement.
The statement added that the federal law enforcement bureau “is legally authorized to use specialized mitigation tools to address unauthorized drone flights and may take action to move aircraft out of restricted airspace while preserving evidence for potential enforcement action.”
Restrictions over the airspace will be initiated around Santa Clara and parts of San Francisco starting on Feb. 3.
Meanwhile, the FAA issued a NOTAM, or a notice to airmen, to restrict the airspace before, during, and after the Super Bowl, while officials have said that the U.S. military would be involved.
A press release issued by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said that the military would be involved in the enforcement of the FAA’s flight restrictions over the stadium and would escort aircraft out of the restricted zones.
The FBI is working with the FAA to enforce the temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), using federally authorized capabilities to detect, track, and assess unauthorized drone activity, with personnel from both agencies deployed full-time to identify drone activity that could threaten aviation safety, critical infrastructure, or public safety at and around event venues.
NFL and Homeland Security officials have said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations won’t be conducted during the Super Bowl or in the events leading up to it.
“There are no planned ICE or immigration enforcement operations that are scheduled around the Super Bowl or any of the Super Bowl-related events,” NFL head of security Cathy Lanier said at a press conference in San Francisco this week.
“There is not ICE deployed with us at the Super Bowl and I don’t believe there has been in the last several.”
Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told media outlets this week that future ICE operations will not be disclosed, responding to a question about the Super Bowl.
“Those who are here legally and not breaking other laws have nothing to fear,” McLaughlin said. “We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Super Bowl security will entail a whole-of-government response conducted in line with the U.S. Constitution.”
Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, said in October that ICE agents would carry out enforcement measures at the game.
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in the country illegally, not the Super Bowl, not anywhere else,” he told podcast host Benny Johnson at the time.
The FAA recently updated its enforcement policy to require legal action when drone operations endanger the public, violate airspace restrictions, or are conducted in furtherance of a crime.
The New England Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL championship game, which starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 8. Officials expect about 1.3 million visitors for the Super Bowl and events surrounding it.
Reuters contributed to this report.
