Federal authorities have intercepted 94 drones around World Cup venues since the tournament began, including 55 that were brought down and 39 that were seized, and officials are treating every unauthorized drone as a potential threat, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Newsmax on Thursday.

"Every one of those had the potential not just to be enthusiasts, but every single one of those has the potential to be a terrorist act, too," Mullin said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."

The World Cup marks the first time participating venues have been equipped with counter-drone defenses, requiring federal agencies to rapidly deploy systems after a lengthy government shutdown delayed preparations, he said.

The secretary said Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard, the FBI, and Federal Protective Service have coordinated security efforts across tournament venues. He said authorities worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to establish restricted airspace extending 3 miles around stadiums and up to 3,000 feet in altitude.

However, he said that the government's funding shutdown complicated preparations because contracts and equipment deployments had to be completed in a compressed timeframe.

"We had to stand this counter-UAS [Unmanned Aircraft System] very quickly because we didn't have contracts signed," he said.

The secretary said he recently visited security teams in Dallas and Los Angeles to review the systems protecting World Cup events.

Mullin also addressed the recent lapse of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, saying the expiration has slowed some intelligence-gathering efforts but has not affected security operations surrounding the World Cup.

"What 702 does, what FISA does, is it helps us go after foreign terrorists that are operating off the United States soil, but trying to operate inside our soil," Mullin said.

He said investigators can still pursue cases involving foreign threats, though obtaining records now takes longer through traditional legal channels.

"It doesn't really put us at risk," Mullin said. "It does slow down the process for us to be able to get some of the warrants we need."

According to Mullin, investigations that previously took hours may now take days, but authorities remain able to pursue leads and maintain ongoing operations.

The secretary also discussed a recently thwarted plot targeting the America 250 UFC event near the White House.

Mullin said federal authorities arrested Abraham Alvarez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who had received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections, after investigators uncovered discussions involving a potential attack using explosive drones and snipers.

"This was very aspirational. I wouldn't say anybody was at a threat level yet, but we were paying attention to it," Mullin said.

Mullin credited coordination among the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Secret Service for identifying the threat and making an arrest before the event took place.

"We had eyes on it. We went ahead and made the arrest, obviously before the event took place," he said.

The secretary said the case highlights the types of threats federal agencies confront daily and defended the administration's criticism of the shutdown that affected Homeland Security operations.

"This was still, once again, an illegal immigrant who shouldn't be in this country that was trying to kill innocent individuals," Mullin said.

The interview concluded on a lighter note as Mullin addressed a Transportation Security Administration advisory reminding World Cup visitors that ranch dressing must comply with airline liquid restrictions.

"You would be surprised how many people like our ranch dressing," Mullin said, adding that travelers can return the bottles to checked luggage or ship them home rather than surrendering them at security checkpoints.

"This was one of those things. Out of all the things we were concerned about, it wasn't ranch dressing," he said.

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