California could be attacked by drones because of Iran war, memo warns. Officials downplay threat

Richard Winton and Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times on Mar 11, 2026

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Law enforcement agencies across California were recently warned that the Iran war could lead to a surprise drone attack in the Golden State, but sources told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday there’s no credible intelligence to support it.

In a memo sent to agencies that are part of a federal Joint Terrorism Task Force, the government said, “We recently acquired information 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 against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran.”

A source with knowledge of the memo who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said the warning was issued based on intelligence received by the U.S. Coast Guard. Law enforcement sources experienced in intelligence said such alerts are cautionary in nature.

The source is experienced in counterterrorism and said “that it’s not been deemed credible at this time.”

The sources stressed that the warning was cautionary and there was no indication Iran was planning an attack or that it could successfully launch one.

But the warning played into security strategies that local and national authorities enacted after the war began.

One official told The Times the memo was one of several daily updates received and distributed by law enforcement and emergency response agencies.

Officials with the FBI declined to comment when reached by The Times on Wednesday. The memo was first reported by ABC News.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he and his office were aware of the reports about the possibility of the drone strikes, and have passed that information along to local partners.

“Drone issues have been top of mind and we’ve assembled some work groups specifically around those concerns,” Newsom said.

The governor added that he has not spoken to President Trump about the potential threat.

Since the U.S. and Israel began launching strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Homeland Security Division has elevated its security posture.

“While we can’t discuss sensitive details, Californians should know that this kind of coordination happens every day to keep people safe,” a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said in a statement. “California is prepared to protect its communities, and we’ll continue working closely with our federal partners.”

State officials would not comment on the memo but said that state, local and federal agencies were continually sharing information about threats and security efforts.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials would not comment on the memo, but in a statement said the department was continuing to operate at an “elevated level of readiness and is maintaining increased vigilance.”

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