San Francisco Man Charged Federally for Drone Flight Over Levi's Stadium

Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint in early February charging 27-year-old Junwei Guo of San Francisco with operating a drone over Levi's Stadium during the Nov. 9, 2025 NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, authorities said. Prosecutors allege the drone climbed to roughly 2,300 feet above ground level, breaching a temporary flight restriction that designates stadium airspace as National Defense Airspace.

The complaint contends Guo failed to register the drone with the Federal Aviation Administration, did not hold a remote pilot certificate, and did not obtain FAA authorization to fly in the restricted airspace. The FAA TFR that covers major stadium events bars all aircraft, including drones, from operating within a three-nautical-mile radius of stadiums with seating capacity of 30,000 or more during qualifying events. If convicted under the cited statute, 49 U.S.C. § 46307, Guo faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The case was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, with United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani identified as the officials who announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Liu is prosecuting the matter with support from Natachiana Burney. The investigation involved the FBI, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Santa Clara Police Department. Guo is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in San Jose on Feb. 27, 2026; the complaint and further court filings are expected to provide additional details about evidence such as flight telemetry or FAA records.

Separately, federal authorities are prosecuting a distinct case involving Yinpiao Zhou, 39, of Brentwood, who is accused of flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 30, 2024. Investigators say detection systems tracked that drone for nearly an hour and that Zhou photographed the site. Zhou was arrested at San Francisco International Airport on Dec. 9 while preparing to board a flight to China. He has been charged with failing to register an aircraft not used for transportation and with violating national defense airspace; prosecutors handling that case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Kedar S. Bhatia and Trial Attorney Benjamin Koenigsfeld. Santamariatimes reporting notes Zhou could face up to four years in federal prison if convicted and that he remains in custody while prosecutors appeal a magistrate judge’s release decision; an arraignment is expected in Los Angeles.

For San Francisco and the South Bay, the Guo complaint highlights how federal and local agencies are coordinating enforcement of no drone zones around high-profile events. With Super Bowl LX prompting additional FAA and FBI restrictions in the area, the cases underscore stricter airspace oversight and potential criminal consequences for flights that cross TFR boundaries. Guo’s Feb. 27 initial appearance and subsequent filings will determine next steps and likely reveal more about the evidence federal prosecutors say supports the charges.