FBI Atlanta credits teamwork for safe World Cup

GEORGIA — The FIFA World Cup is over and FBI Atlanta says there were no major security problems during the weeks of matches and fan celebrations.

“Federal, state and local law enforcement partners have been amazing. The collaboration, the intelligence sharing that went on to make sure we kept the event and the fans safe, it was top notch,” said Marlo Graham, the special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta.

The agency held a news conference Tuesday to update the public.

Authorities report a total of 95 drones were seized after they flew through restricted airspace near World Cup venues. They claim Atlanta has set a standard for how drone threats are handled by law enforcement during public events.

Nationwide, the FBI deployed approximately 5,000 personnel in support of World Cup security operations across all 11 host cities, according to a press release. The Bureau conducted more than 300,000 background checls, seized more than 700 drones operating in restricted airspace, and supported security efforts for 104 matches attended by approximately 6.8 million fans.