Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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On the first day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as thousands gathered at the fan festival in East Downtown, John Alexander Meza allegedly began flying a drone for about 2 minutes. His purpose, he would later tell law enforcement, was to capture video for Houston's First Baptist Church. Meza now faces federal charges of violating national defense airspace, punishable by up to a year in prison and fines of up to $100,000.

Full story: houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/sports/world-cup/2026/07/29/558235/drone-houston-world-cup-merchandise-faa-cbp-federal-charges

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