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Contents of FBI alert
In late February and early March 2026 the FBI circulated an internal advisory to California law enforcement describing an unverified tip that Iran had “aspired” to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the U.S. West Coast, potentially targeting unspecified locations in California if the United States carried out strikes against Iran.
“UNCLASSIFIED//LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVENOT FOR DISSEMINATION TO THE PUBLIC OR PRESS THIS MESSAGE CONTATINS RAW INORMATON SUBJECT TO REVISION AND IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ONLY.JTTF Partners, (U//LES) We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran.”
The alert—labeled UNCLASSIFIED and marked for law enforcement situational awareness—stated it contained “RAW INORMATON SUBJECT TO REVISION” and explicitly warned that there was no additional information on timing, method, target, or perpetrators.
The reporting that made the advisory public cited the FBI message’s language that Iran “allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California.”
Federal response and pushback
Federal officials and the White House moved quickly to stress the information was unverified and not a confirmed or imminent homeland threat.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly called the ABC News report to be retracted, saying the alert was based on “a single, unverified tip,” and insisting “No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.”
The FBI also pushed back on reporting that presented the tip as confirmed, with an FBI spokesman posting what he said was the full alert to X and criticizing outlets for omitting the unverified nature of the information.
California officials' view
State and local officials in California likewise emphasized there was no credible, specific or imminent threat, framing the bulletin as a precautionary advisory.
“California's governor, Gavin Newsom, said on Wednesday there was no imminent threat, saying drone concerns “have always been top of mind”, and adding: “We’ve been aware of that information … It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios.””
Governor Gavin Newsom described awareness of the information as part of a “posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,” while local law-enforcement leaders including the Sacramento County sheriff said the report was not considered a credible threat and that there were no known or specific threats to Los Angeles.
Agencies said the alert lacked details on timing, targets or perpetrators and was the kind of internal notice shared for situational awareness among taskforce partners.
Congressional reaction
The advisory’s publication and the initial media reporting prompted political scrutiny, with House Democrats criticizing the administration’s handling of the notification and demanding transparency.
Representative Eric Swalwell said the administration’s lack of coordination with Congress “created chaos and confusion” and complained lawmakers learned of the allegation from press reports rather than the White House; other members pressed for more information on readiness and defensive capabilities.
Lawmakers also tied the episode to broader concerns about resource allocations and agency priorities in counterterrorism and cybersecurity work.
Media fallout and precautions
The episode also highlighted how internal law-enforcement advisories can become public and trigger operational responses and media corrections: ABC News’s initial report did not include the alert’s “unverified” label, drawing criticism from the White House and prompting the FBI to post the full text; outlets subsequently noted the bulletin’s limited detail.
“FBI spokesman Ben Williamson posted to X on March 12 what he said was the full alert sent by the FBI and criticized ABC News for not describing the information as unverified.”
The report led some venues and agencies to take precautionary steps—organizers for the Oscars increased security and the Los Angeles sheriff’s department stepped up patrols—despite officials repeatedly stating there was no confirmed or imminent threat.
