The FBI recently warned police departments in California that Iran could attempt to attack the US West Coast using drones launched from vessels at sea, according to a report by ABC News on Wednesday based on a warning bulletin obtained by the network.
The alert, circulated in late February, said that "recent information indicates that Iran sought, as of early February 2026, to carry out a surprise drone attack from an unidentified vessel off the US coast, particularly against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US attacks Iran."
The document added that authorities currently have no further details about the timing, method, targets or operatives involved in such a potential attack.
The warning coincided with the launch of the US operation against Iran
A scenario involving drones launched from ships is not unprecedented. Over the past year, Western intelligence agencies have identified instances in which Russia used tankers from its so-called shadow fleet as platforms to launch drones off the coasts of Europe, including near Denmark and the Netherlands.
The FBI alert did not explain how or when vessels carrying attack drones could approach close enough to US shores to carry out such an operation. However, intelligence officials have long expressed concern that Iran may have pre-positioned equipment, either on land or aboard ships at sea, in preparation for a possible confrontation if Israel or the US were to strike it.
A spokesperson for the FBI office in Los Angeles declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
US intelligence officials are also concerned about the growing use of drones by Mexican drug cartels and the possibility that the technology could be used to attack American forces along the US-Mexico border.
According to the report, an intelligence document from September 2025, also obtained by ABC, stated that "unverified reporting indicated that unidentified Mexican cartel leaders had approved attacks using explosive-laden drones against US law enforcement and military personnel along the border."
The document noted that such an attack would be unprecedented but represented a plausible scenario, although cartels generally avoid actions that could draw unwanted attention from US authorities.
Iran has invested in expanding its presence in Latin America for years, partly through Shiite communities in the region and support from sympathetic left-wing governments that share opposition to the US. These networks have been linked to several attacks, including the bombings in Buenos Aires in the 1990s, and more recently to a foiled attempt in late 2025 to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico, Einat Kranz-Neiger.
