Weather 
LOS ANGELES () — As thousands of soccer fans prepare for the World Cup games in Southern California, officials are outlining efforts to keep attendees safe.
Federal and local law enforcement agencies hosted a press conference on Monday morning to detail public safety plans for the upcoming matches. All eight World Cup games in the region will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, with the first match set for June 12 when the U.S. faces Paraguay.
Officials described it as one of the largest security operations in Los Angeles history and a precursor to security efforts for the 2028 Olympics.
While the overall message focused on deterring local criminal behavior such as drunk driving, counterfeit tickets and merchandise, human trafficking and fights, authorities say there is a broader emphasis on large-scale threats.
“To our residents, we’ve got your back,” said L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “We’re going to make sure that we keep streets and the venues of Los Angeles safe for you.”
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, along with the L.A. Police Department, Inglewood Police Department, the FBI and the Secret Service, are working together. Agencies say deputies and officers have been training in crowd control and counterterrorism response tactics.
One of the biggest concerns is drone security.
Authorities said flight restrictions will be in place above and around all World Cup venues. Drone detection and mitigation teams will be deployed to identify and bring down any drones that pose a threat.
The head of the FBI team declined to explain how drones would be disabled but said any takedown would be conducted away from crowds. Drone pilots who illegally enter restricted airspace could face fines of up to $100,000 and confiscation of their equipment.
Meanwhile, the head of FIFA West Coast Security called on fans to be “deputized” as extra eyes and ears, urging them to report anything suspicious and to familiarize themselves with the cities they are visiting.
Regarding ICE presence at World Cup events, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said that while federal agents will be on duty helping with security, ICE has told the department there will be no immigration enforcement at the games.
“In regards to civil immigration enforcement, they told us that specifically would not be occurring at any of the games. Any of that is subject to change, but I have trust that they’re giving me the appropriate information, because if that starts occurring, we’re going to have a whole new host of problems,” Luna said.
Kathryn Schloessman, who leads the host committee for the FIFA World Cup, previously said ICE agents were not part of the security plans at SoFi Stadium.
As anticipation builds, fans have already begun gathering for soccer events. On Saturday, hundreds attended a friendly match between Mexico and Australia at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Fans packed the Rose Bowl on Saturday as Mexico defeated Australia 1-0 in a friendly send-off match ahead of the FIFA World Cup next month.
“It’s rough what we are going through as a country… it’s OK to just detach from that and come together and heal part of the community,” said Tania Gonzalez of Santa Clarita.
For fans without match tickets, organizers plan to host free events like the official FIFA Fan Festival, which will be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum beginning June 11.
Additional fan zones are planned at 10 venues across the region, stretching from Venice Beach to Union Station.
To help bring the excitement of the FIFA World Cup to the whole city, organizers are hosting 10 fan zone experiences across the L.A. area. Here’s what you need to know.
News’ Alex Stone contributed to this report.
© 2026 Television,
