Videographer is Facing One Year in Jail for Flying Drone to Film Church During World Cup

A professional videographer was arrested by the FBI after flying a drone for two minutes to film a church in Houston, Texas, during the 2026 World Cup, despite no matches being held in the city that day.

Videographer and cinematographer John Alexander Meza is facing one year in jail for flying a DJI Mavic 3 for two minutes to film First Baptist Church in East Downtown Houston on June 11, which was the first day of the 2026 World Cup.

Although no World Cup matches were played in Houston on June 11 and the city’s first match was not scheduled until June 14, thousands of people had gathered that day at the World Cup fan festival in East Downtown Houston. According to a report by Houston Public Media, Meza — whose LinkedIn profile identifies him as a cinematographer for First Baptist Church — was flying the drone near the 600 block of Live Oak Street in East Downtown, a few blocks from the fan festival.

For the duration of the 2026 World Cup, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated East Downtown Houston as a temporary “no drone zone,” banning drone flights within a one-mile radius of the fan festival up to an altitude of 1,000 feet.

According to court records obtained by Houston Public Media, 26-year-old videographer John Alexander Meza was arrested after what authorities say was a two-minute drone flight to film a church. The incident has since become a federal case, with Meza charged with violating national defense airspace. If convicted, he could face up to one year in prison and fines of up to $100,000.

When FBI agents located Meza, he reportedly confirmed that he was operating the drone and said he was capturing footage of Houston’s First Baptist Church. According to court records, Meza also acknowledged that he did not hold a remote pilot certificate and had not checked airspace restrictions before flying the drone.

Earlier this month, FBI Houston told the news outlet that 44 drones were seized in the city during the World Cup. Meza is one of as many as 16 people now facing the prospect of federal charges for flying drones in restricted airspace in Houston during the World Cup. In total, The FBI says it seized more than 700 illegal drones — and detected almost 1,600 in total — around the 11 stadiums in the United States during the World Cup.

Prior to the World Cup, the FAA designated all FIFA World Cup stadiums and event spaces as strict “No Drone Zones.” On match days, all aircraft operations, including drones, are prohibited within a radius of three nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet above ​ground level around the stadiums unless specifically authorized by ​air traffic controllers. The FAA says it will impose criminal fines of up to $100,000 for flying aerial devices near them.

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