An FBI memo warning that Iran may try to launch drones at California in a seaborne “surprise attack” raised concern Wednesday — but law enforcement officials and homeland security experts have cautioned that it may not point to an immediate threat.
Multiple U.S. and California law enforcement and intelligence officials tell CBS News there is no known, specific threat underpinning the memo, which was issued a week ago and distributed to local law enforcement by the FBI’s Los Angeles office.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X: “While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state.”
The memo, which was obtained by CBS News on Wednesday, stems from an apparent tip that surfaced prior to the Iranian conflict.
It said the FBI received “unverified” information that early last month, 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 that the US conducted strikes against Iran.”
The memo added that the FBI had no additional information on the potential “timing, method, target, or perpetrators.”
ABC News was first to report on the memo.
The warning was issued several days into the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, prompting concerns that Iran could seek to retaliate on American soil. Some homeland security experts have pointed to the risk of cyberattacks and to Iran’s alleged history of murder-for-hire plots against dissidents based in the U.S. and prominent American officials.
Samantha Vinograd, a CBS News contributor and former Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat protection, noted that the “Iranian regime has a vast and diverse arsenal of drones that it has deployed throughout the Middle East.”
Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. military bases in the Middle East in recent weeks have included drone attacks. The Iranian military is known for its Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones.
Vinograd also said the U.S. government has sought to prevent malicious drone activity by drug cartels.
Warning is “unverified” and “not actionable,” officials say
A California-based federal law enforcement official told CBS News the warning that was distributed last week about Iranian drones “is not actionable.”
“This is unverified,” another federal law enforcement official told CBS News. “There has been no information given on the timing, source, method or target of any such attack… since then, we have seen no further indications of this.”
Another California law enforcement official said: “All this means is we got this information and we want to get it out to law enforcement executives to make sure they’re up to speed on it. … There is absolutely nothing more to it.”
A law enforcement source familiar with the matter told CBS News that the FBI regularly shares with local law enforcement any intelligence that is gathered. The information suggesting that Iran may be interested in launching drone attacks in California was a component among the information shared last week.
But the source said there is no known specific threat.
The FBI and the White House did not comment to CBS News on the memo.
Vinograd said: “We have no indication that the FBI was sharing information on an imminent threat.”
“It is standard operating procedure — and prudent — for the FBI to share information with its partners to ensure partners are aware of the broader threat landscape,” she said. “Context on credibility and imminence is helpful as a part of these information sharing mechanisms.”
Jeff Harp, a former FBI special agent, said in an interview with CBS News that “there is a directive to over-communicate with all the different agencies out there” about potential threats.
“If they have any inkling that there is information out there, they’re going to broadcast it,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be 100% accurate. But what they want to get out there is at least a warning to make sure that there is some preparation and notice that goes out.”
Officials in California have said they are vigilant but aren’t aware of any immediate threats.
In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Department said: “At this time, there are no known or specific threats to Los Angeles.” It added that it “continues to monitor global events and any potential related threats that could impact Los Angeles.”
Newsom’s office told CBS News the memo was “one of numerous security updates the state receives from federal partners daily and disseminates to local law enforcement and emergency responders.”
