Law enforcement and state officials said they were aware of a warning that Iran could retaliate for the ongoing war by launching drones at California, a threat first reported by ABC News.
“As it relates to drone strikes, we’ve been aware of that information. We’ve been working collaboratively through the SOC (State Operation Center), which we established right after the war began,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a Wednesday news conference. “(We’ve been) working with the Office of Emergency Services, but working locally to make sure we transmit any information that we have received.”
Newsom also said in a social media post that he was in “constant coordination” with security and intelligence officials to monitor potential threats to the state.
“While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state,” the post stated.
The intelligence, which originated from a confidential FBI memo, suggested that foreign adversaries might be aspiring to launch surprise attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed from vessels off the California coast. It added that there was “no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”
The Los Angeles Police Department declined to comment on the specifics of the memo when contacted by Annenberg Media, but said in a statement that it “continued to monitor global events and any potential related threats that could impact Los Angeles.”
“At this time, there are no known or specific threats,” the LAPD said in an email statement to Annenberg Media. “The LAPD remains committed to maintaining public safety from all potential threats.”
USC students said they were not really concerned about the unspecified threat. Jackson Hayes, a film production major, said he didn’t believe that adversaries like Iran posed much of a threat.
“My friend was telling me that we should leave California, and I was like, ‘I don’t think so, I think we’re fine,’” he said. “It’s not ideal, but the officials don’t seem to be super worried about it.”
John Cohen, the former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC News that he was particularly concerned about the potential for drone warfare crossing from the Pacific and Mexico.
“We know Iran has an extensive presence in Mexico and South America, they have relationships, they have the drones, and now they have the incentive to conduct attacks,” he told the outlet. “The FBI is smart for putting this warning out so that state locals can be better able to prepare and respond to these types of threats.”
Jake De La Rosa, a senior studying film production, said he viewed the retaliation warnings as an attempt to garner support.
He said he believed that there was no chance of any counterattack.
“Honestly, there’s a 0% chance it happens,” he said. “For the past five days, it’s been a relentless barrage [on Iran]. You strum up concern to trump up support [for the war]. It’s not going to happen.”
The warning comes at a precarious time for Southern California as the region prepares for several high-profile events, including Sunday’s Oscars ceremony and the 2026 World Cup, which is set to take place later this summer. According to Variety, the event has taken steps to increase security.
The Pasadena Police Department has also increased its security at places of worship, even though the department said it didn’t have any specific threats that it was aware of at the time.