Federal authorities have warned law enforcement agencies in California that Iran could attempt to retaliate for U.S. military strikes by launching drones at targets along the West Coast.

“We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California,” the FBI alert says, as reported first by ABC News.

The bulletin noted that the intelligence was incomplete and unconfirmed, adding that authorities have “no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”

The alert was circulated at the end of February, just as the Trump administration began its ongoing military campaign against Iran. Since then, Tehran has launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against American and allied targets across the Middle East.

The warning comes amid growing concern among U.S. intelligence officials about the expanding global use of drone warfare and the possibility that adversaries could use relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft to strike targets inside the United States.

Authorities are also monitoring a separate but related threat closer to home. U.S. officials have raised alarms in recent months about Mexican drug cartels increasingly using drones, including drones capable of carrying explosives.

A September 2025 intelligence bulletin reviewed by ABC News warned that unidentified cartel leaders may have authorized attacks using explosive-carrying drones against U.S. law enforcement and military personnel near the southern border.

Such an attack inside the United States would be unprecedented, the bulletin noted, but officials said the scenario is considered plausible.

California officials say they are already working with federal agencies to strengthen security as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

“The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is actively working with state, local and federal security officials to protect our communities,” a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

Local law enforcement agencies have also heightened their readiness.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it has increased patrols around places of worship, cultural institutions and other prominent sites “in light of current global events.”

“Out of an abundance of caution,” the department said, it has reviewed deployment plans, coordinated with patrol stations and ensured that additional resources are available if needed.

John Cohen, a former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security and an ABC News contributor, said the warning reflects growing fears that hostile actors could attempt to bring drone warfare closer to American shores.

“We know Iran has an extensive presence in Mexico and South America,” Cohen said. “They have relationships, they have the drones and now they have the incentive to conduct attacks.”

He added that the FBI’s alert gives state and local authorities valuable time to prepare.

“The FBI is smart for putting this warning out so that state and locals can be better able to prepare and respond to these types of threats,” Cohen said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)