The Department of Homeland Security said a man was charged after allegedly flying a drone in restricted airspace near the FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta; the new charges are allegations and he is presumed innocent
The Department of Homeland Security said an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI has led to federal charges against a man accused of flying a drone in restricted airspace near a FIFA event in Atlanta.
According to DHS, citing the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the man — identified as Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez, a Mexican national — allegedly operated a drone in restricted airspace near Centennial Olympic Park on June 12, 2026, during the 2026 FIFA Fan Festival. The agency said FBI agents confronted him and, after confirming he was in the country illegally, took him into custody before turning him over to ICE the next day.
DHS said Rojas-Martinez was charged on June 15 with operating a drone in a temporary flight-restriction zone and with illegal re-entry. Those charges are allegations that have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
According to DHS, the government cites a prior criminal history that includes convictions for drug trafficking, stolen property, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and two counts of fraud, along with a prior arrest for driving under the influence.
In a statement, Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the man flew a drone in restricted airspace near the Atlanta event and pointed to his cited criminal history, saying the administration would not allow people in the country illegally to threaten public safety.
DHS said Rojas-Martinez claimed to have first entered the United States in Texas in 1999 and was deported in 2013, re-entered and was deported a second time in 2019, and later entered a third time at an unknown date and location.
