USA11 March, 20262 min read
Gov. Gavin Newsom Says No Imminent Threat After FBI Warning Iran Could Launch Drone Attacks
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Gov. Gavin Newsom said no imminent threat to California despite FBI drone-attack warning. FBI memo contained unverified, unvetted information sent for awareness to local officials.
Newsom says no imminent threat
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told the public there was no “imminent threat” to the state after federal officials circulated an FBI memo reporting an unverified tip that Iran-linked actors might seek to launch drones toward the U.S. West Coast.
“SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there was no imminent threat to the state, despite a warning from the FBI that Iran could send drones to the West Coast in retaliation forwar. Newsom said drone issues ‘have always been top of mind.’ ‘We've been aware of that information. ...”
The memo prompted state awareness but, Newsom and other officials emphasized, did not translate into a confirmed or immediate danger to Californians.
Newsom said drone issues “have always been top of mind” and that California remains coordinated with security and intelligence partners while staying prepared for emergencies.
Contents of FBI memo
The underlying FBI memo, as reported by national outlets, described an unverified, aspirational claim 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 citing unspecified targets in California if the U.S. struck Iran.
Federal and state officials stressed that the memo contained unvetted and unverified information and that initial public reports sometimes omitted the word “unverified.”
Federal pushback and reaction
Federal and White House officials pushed back on interpretations that treated the memo as evidence of an active plot: the FBI’s Assistant Director for Public Affairs said initial reports left out that the line read “unverified,” and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that the memo was “one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip” and added, “TO BE CLEAR: No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.” President Donald Trump said the matter was being investigated.
“Following initial reports on the memo, the FBI’s Assistant Director for Public Affairs, Ben Williamson, said those reports left out the word ‘unverified’ in the initial line: ‘We recently acquired unverified information.’”
Local security measures
Local law enforcement in California increased visible precautions in response to the intelligence-sharing: the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it had stepped up patrols around places of worship and prominent locations “out of an abundance of caution,” and authorities noted heightened security at large events such as the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards as part of routine protective measures. Newsom reiterated coordination with security officials and said the state remains prepared for emergencies.
Intelligence context and uncertainty
Officials and law enforcement sources described the tip as part of routine intelligence-sharing where unvetted leads are disseminated “out of an abundance of caution,” and some described the claim as “aspirational” rather than indicative of operational capability; federal sources also said such reports are shared with local partners “daily.” The combination of unverified sourcing and routine precautionary alerts shaped the public messaging that emphasized awareness without indicating a confirmed plot.
“Federal investigators often share information of questionable credibility with local law enforcement partners out of an abundance of caution.”