Iran-linked hacker group Handala claims FBI drone breach and threatens World Cup security

A hacker collective identifying itself as Handala, which is reported to have ties to Iran, says it has accessed the video and data streams of first‑person view (FPV) drones operated by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for several months. In a statement released through the SITE Intelligence Group, the group warned that the drones, equipped with facial‑recognition and license‑plate scanning, could be used to target the 2026 FIFA World Cup, advising organizers to "tighten security" because the FPVs could appear near team buses.

U.S. authorities have deployed additional security drones around stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico and have banned unauthorized drone flights over the venues. The Justice Department previously warned of possible cyber‑attacks by Iranian‑linked actors following recent U.S.–Israeli strikes on Tehran. The State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of Handala members.

The claim of a breach is disputed. SITE notes that video presented as evidence was actually a demonstration video from a U.S. police tornado‑damage monitoring project released in December 2024, and there has been no official confirmation from the FBI that its drone systems were compromised.