US Congressmen Urge National Guard Deployment Over Drone Threat During World Cup

US Congressmen Urge Immediate Action to Secure Airspace Over World Cup Host Cities

Two Republican members of the US House of Representatives have sent a letter to several government officials, calling for immediate interagency action to secure the airspace over 11 US cities hosting World Cup matches this year. The letter, signed by Representatives Michael McCaul and Elijah Crane, was addressed to US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

The lawmakers expressed concerns about potential personnel shortages and jurisdictional issues that could create a fragmented environment for World Cup security. They emphasized the need for a unified federal security posture to address these challenges. The National Guard is being considered as a possible solution, with McCaul and Crane citing its rapid deployability, nationwide scalability, and extensive experience responding to domestic emergencies.

The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Pentagon have not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter. This call for action comes ahead of a recent incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, which raised new security concerns about this year’s World Cup games. The White House has since stated that measures are being taken to ensure the safety and security of the matches.

The letter was sent on Friday, with the lawmakers urging immediate interagency action to address potential drone-related threats over the host cities.

Source: Al Jazeera