U.S. law enforcement agencies across California received an FBI warning at the end of February regarding an alleged Iranian plot to conduct a drone strike against the West Coast. The alert, distributed to police departments and Joint Terrorism Task Force partners, indicated that Iran purportedly aspired to execute a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from an unidentified vessel positioned off the coast of the United States, targeting unspecified locations in California. This development comes as American forces continue sustained military operations against Iran, including Operation Epic Fury, which has seen over 5,000 Iranian sites struck and more than 50 Iranian ships downed, according to U.S. Central Command.
"No, I’m not." — President Donald Trump, responding to a question about worrying that Iran might expand retaliation to U.S. soil.
The FBI bulletin, reviewed by ABC News, specified that as of early February 2026, Iran's alleged aspiration was to retaliate for U.S. strikes against the Islamic Republic. However, the alert emphasized that authorities possessed no additional details regarding the timing, specific targets, methods, or perpetrators of this alleged attack, describing the information as uncorroborated. "Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United State Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran,” the alert stated. The FBI update further clarified, "We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack."
Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White House have declined to comment on the matter. When questioned by reporters on Wednesday about potential Iranian retaliation extending to U.S. soil, President Donald Trump stated, "No, I’m not." Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged awareness of the threat during a press conference, noting that "drone issues have always been top of mind" and that his office had established work groups specifically to address such concerns. A California-based federal law enforcement official, speaking to news outlets, indicated that the threat "has not been deemed credible at this time," characterizing the warning as purely cautionary. Intelligence officials have long expressed apprehension about adversaries pre-positioning equipment, whether on land or aboard ships, in anticipation of potential conflicts with the United States or its allies. The FBI alert did not provide specifics on how or when a vessel carrying attack drones could approach the American coastline sufficiently close to launch a strike, as reported by The Washington Times.
Concurrently with the surfacing of the FBI drone alert, a separate government bulletin from September 2025 had previously warned of an escalating drone danger closer to the U.S.-Mexico border. This earlier uncorroborated report suggested that unidentified Mexican cartel leaders had authorized attacks using drones equipped with explosives against U.S. law enforcement and military personnel along the border. While such an attack on U.S. soil would be unprecedented, officials described the scenario as plausible, despite cartels typically avoiding provocations that could trigger a severe response from Washington.
Adding to the complex threat landscape, an Iran-linked cyberattack struck a major American corporation on the same day the FBI drone alert surfaced. The hacking collective Handala claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Wednesday against Stryker, a Michigan-based medical equipment company. This attack reportedly shut down technology operations across Stryker's global offices, leaving thousands of employees unable to access company systems. Handala issued a statement asserting, “Our major cyber operation has been executed with complete success,” and claiming that all extracted data was "now in the hands of the free people of the world.” This incident underscores the multi-faceted nature of potential threats from state-sponsored and affiliated actors. The convergence of these distinct warnings and incidents highlights the ongoing challenges faced by U.S. national security and cybersecurity agencies in an era of heightened global tensions.
