The FBI has recently alerted California authorities that Iran may have intended to carry out a surprise drone attack against the U.S. West Coast from an unidentified vessel, in response to American military operations, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to sources from ABC News. According to the alert, obtained by federal agencies in late February 2026, the information was unverified but indicated that as of early February, Iran allegedly sought to deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) targeting unspecified locations in California if the United States conducted strikes against the Islamic Republic. Officials stated that no further details regarding timing, method, or perpetrators were available.
The warning arrived as the Trump administration continued its ongoing campaign against Iran, with Tehran responding through drone attacks targeting sites across the Middle East. U.S. intelligence noted that the alert predates coordinated strikes by the U.S. and Israel and suggested that Iran’s capacity to carry out such operations may have been significantly reduced during the subsequent 12-day bombardment.
A spokesperson for the FBI’s Los Angeles office declined to provide comment. President Donald Trump, when asked about the California alert, said on Wednesday, “It’s being investigated. But you have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come, and the war itself is being prosecuted as well as anybody has ever seen.”
In parallel, U.S. intelligence officials have raised concerns regarding the growing use of drones by Mexican drug cartels and the potential risk of these devices being used against American forces along the southern border. A bulletin from September 2025 reviewed by ABC News warned that cartel leaders might authorize attacks with drones carrying explosives targeting U.S. law enforcement or military personnel, an unprecedented but plausible scenario.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that state emergency services are coordinating with federal and local security officials to ensure public safety. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated that, “in light of current global events,” it is maintaining elevated readiness, increasing patrols around religious, cultural, and other high-profile locations, and reviewing deployment strategies to ensure additional resources are available if required.
John Cohen, former head of intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security and ABC News contributor, emphasized the dual concern of drone threats originating from the Pacific and Mexico. “We know Iran has an extensive presence in Mexico and South America, they have relationships, they have the drones, and now they have the incentive to conduct attacks,” Cohen said. “The FBI is smart for putting this warning out so that state and locals can be better able to prepare and respond to these types of threats. Information like this is critically important for law enforcement.”
While the FBI alert did not provide specifics on how vessels carrying attack drones could approach the U.S. mainland, intelligence agencies have long monitored the potential pre-positioning of equipment on ships or land in anticipation of military strikes on Iran by the U.S. or Israel.
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