Federal agents arrested repeat deportee Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez near Centennial Olympic Park in Downtown Atlanta for unlawfully operating a drone over restricted airspace during the FIFA Fan Festival on June 12, 2026. (FBI)
ATLANTA – A Mexican national faces federal charges after authorities caught him flying an unauthorized drone over Centennial Olympic Park during the FIFA Fan Festival in Atlanta, according to a federal criminal complaint.Â
Federal agents took 37-year-old Lorenzo Rojas-Martinez into custody on Friday after discovering he was unlawfully present in the United States following two prior deportations.Â
A review of his driver’s license confirmed his identity and led agents to discover his status as a repeat deportee who also holds a prior conviction for cocaine distribution, federal officials said. Rojas-Martinez was formally charged on Monday with operating a drone in a temporary flight restricted zone and illegal reentry by a removed alien.Â
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact type of drone Rojas-Martinez was operating or what he planned to do with the recorded video footage. It remains unclear how long he had been back in the country following his second deportation or where he obtained the aircraft.Â
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U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of FBI Atlanta noted that Ground Intercept Teams will continue monitoring restricted areas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dash A. Cooper is prosecuting the case, which is being jointly investigated by the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Â
