According to a warning obtained by ABC News, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently issued alerts to multiple police departments in California, stating that Iran may launch drone attacks on the U.S. West Coast as retaliation for U.S. military strikes.
The alert was issued in late February. It states that information recently obtained by the FBI indicates that as of early February 2026, Iran reportedly planned, in the event of a U.S. strike on Iran, to launch drones from an unidentified vessel offshore the U.S. mainland to carry out a sudden attack on unspecified locations within California.
However, the alert also noted that the FBI currently has no additional information regarding the specific timing, method, targets, or personnel involved in this potential attack.
This warning comes amid the Trump administration’s ongoing military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Meanwhile, Iran has continued using drones to strike various targets across the Middle East in retaliation.
A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles FBI office declined to comment on the alert, and the White House did not immediately respond to media requests for comment.
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Increasing concerns
Beyond Iran, U.S. intelligence agencies have increasingly been concerned in recent months about another potential threat: the expanding use of drone technology by Mexican drug cartels, which could potentially be used in the future to target U.S. personnel and military near the U.S.-Mexico border.
An ABC News review of a September 2025 notice shows that an unverified report claimed unidentified Mexican cartel leaders had approved the use of unmanned aerial systems carrying explosives to target U.S. law enforcement and military personnel along the border.
The notice also stated that such attacks against U.S. personnel or interests, if they were to occur, would be unprecedented, though not entirely impossible given the circumstances. Typically, cartels avoid actions that would draw heightened U.S. attention or retaliation.
John Cohen, former intelligence chief at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said he is concerned that future drone threats could come simultaneously from both the Pacific and Mexican directions.
Iran’s presence in Mexico and South America
Cohen added that Iran has a significant presence and networks in Mexico and South America, as well as drone capabilities, and now also possesses the motivation to carry out such attacks. He said the FBI’s warning was wise because it allows state and local law enforcement to prepare in advance and respond more effectively, emphasizing that such information is crucial for law enforcement.
Although the FBI alert did not specify how a vessel carrying attack drones would approach the U.S. mainland or when it might enter striking range, U.S. intelligence officials have long been concerned that relevant equipment could be pre-deployed on land or on offshore vessels in the event Israel or the U.S. strikes Iran.
At the same time the U.S. issued this warning, Iran also sent new military deterrence signals.
Ali Fadavi, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Wednesday, March 11 that Iran possesses high-speed missiles that can be launched from underwater.
According to Iran’s Fars News Agency quoting Fadavi, Iran has underwater-launched missiles that travel at 100 meters per second and “may be used in the coming days.” He added that only Iran and Russia possess this type of missile.
The day before, media reports suggested that Iran might be preparing to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Located between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil and natural gas shipping routes.
By Gao Yun
