California Governor Gavin Newsom addressed the state’s security posture on March 12, saying there was “no imminent threat” posed by Iran despite a recent FBI alert warning of a possible drone strike on the West Coast. The alert, posted on the agency’s official X account, described the intelligence as “unverified information,” and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced the governor’s assessment, stating that no such threat exists.
The FBI’s bulletin warned that Iran could launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel offshore, targeting “unspecified locations” in California in retaliation for U.S. actions against Tehran. The agency offered no details on timing, method, or specific targets, emphasizing the speculative nature of the warning.
Press Secretary Leavitt, responding on X, said the tip was based on “unverified intelligence,” and underscored that “no such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.” In a separate interview at Joint Base Andrews, former President Donald Trump noted that the alert was “being investigated” and that officials would “take ’em as they come.”
Local law‑enforcement officials in Los Angeles and San Francisco confirmed they were monitoring world events for any potential risks and were coordinating closely with state and federal partners. “We’re aware of the information and are staying vigilant,” a spokesperson for each department said.
Subject‑matter experts explained that FBI special information bulletins are routine, designed to raise awareness among police departments about emerging threats. Brian Kohlhepp, an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College and former member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, noted that urgent bulletins would typically trigger a conference call or direct outreach, which has not occurred in this case.
The Associated Press corrected the story on March 12 to fix the name of criminal‑justice expert Brian Kohlhepp, which was mistakenly listed as “Jonathan” in an earlier version.