Some state law enforcement officials warned of possible plot.

An Iranian Shahed exploding drone launched by Russia flies through the sky seconds before it struck buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 17, 2022. Efrem Lukatsky- the associated Press.

By NATHANIEL PERCY, RYANNE MENA, AND ANDREA KLICK | STAFF WRITERS

The FBI recently warned some law enforcement agencies in California that Iran could launch drones at the West Coast from an offshore boat as a retaliatory attack, according to reporting by ABC News.

"We recently acquired information that as of 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," according to the alert, which ABC reported was distributed at the end of February. "We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack."

Gov. Gavin Newsom, at a recent news conference, said his office was aware of the information and that he had been working with a State Operations Center, which was established at the start of the war.

"We are aware of that information, and we transferred that information in real time to our local partners," Newsom said. "Drone issues have always been top of mind, and we've assembled some work groups specifically around those concerns."

Newsom said during the news conference that the State Operations Center included federal, state and local law enforcement officials as well as experts and that it was "all around intelligence collecting, and it's all about a posture of preparedness. Meeting consistently with representatives in the industry, some more well-known than others, to game out break-the-glass scenarios. We hope those don't occur."

Newsom did not expand further. An FBI spokeswoman declined Wednesday to comment on the memo. At least one law enforcement agency in Southern California confirmed it received the memo.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed receipt in a statement but said "there have been no threats identified in our area of responsibility, and our department continues to work with our local, state and federal partners to identify any local threats."

The department has increased patrols and urged residents to stay vigilant about their surroundings.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said in a statement it "remains at an elevated level of readiness and is maintaining increased vigilance as we continue to protect our residents of Los Angeles County."

"As part of our preparedness efforts, we remain attentive to all potential threats, including lone-actor attacks, sleeper cells, and advanced technological or cyber-related threats," the statement continued.

The department also said it was increasing patrols, particularly around places ofworship, cultural institutions and "other prominent locations throughout the county."

The Orange County Sheriff's Department, as of Wednesday, had not seen any credible threats to Orange County, Sgt. Gerard Mccann said.

"We encourage the community to remain aware of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to their local law enforcement agency," he said.

Riverside County sheriff's officials said they, too, had no specific information indicating a threat to Riverside County, but that they maintain a strong partnership with the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"We rely on one another's expertise, resources, and the sharing of critical intelligence to identify threats and stop criminal activity before it reaches our communities," a statement from the department said.

Lisa Derderian, a spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, said Wednesday its police department was not aware of the information. A spokesman for the Torrance Police Department said he was unaware of the memo. Long Beach police directed a reporter's question to the FBI.

The war with Iran began Feb. 28with U.S. airstrikes. Since launching the war, President Donald Trump has cycled from calls for "unconditional surrender" to sounding amenable to an end state in which Iran trades one hard-line ayatollah for another. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial strikes.

The now 12-day-old conflict is affecting nearly every corner of the Middle East and causing economic tremors around the globe. With neither side budging, the war is now on an unpredictable path and a credible endgame is unclear.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday it was up to Trump "whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end" of the war. Trump, during the course of one speech at a House Republican gathering Monday, went from calling the war a "short-term excursion" that could end soon to proclaiming "we haven't won enough."

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services on Wednesday said it was in coordination with local, state and federal partners sharing information on potential threats as part of security efforts, a spokesperson said in a statement.

"While we can't discuss sensitive details, Californians should know that this kind of coordination happens every day to keep people safe," the statement said. "California is prepared to protect its communities, and we'll continue working closely with our federal partners, including the FBI, who is best positioned to speak to any specific intelligence."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.