Brasiliense is detained after using a drone near the Brooklyn Bridge, in the USA Rodrigo Pereira/personal archive Brazilian influencer Rodrigo Pereira Gonçalves, 26, was detained after mistakenly operating a drone near the Brooklyn Bridge, in New York, in the United States. The case happened last Sunday (14). ✅ Click here to follow the g1 DF channel on WhatsApp. According to Rodrigo, he saw other drones in the air and stated that he even asked a police officer if he could climb the equipment. After receiving "verbal authorization", he used the equipment to capture aerial images at the location. "I only recorded with the drone because I had the approval of a police officer. He said he could take the drone up, but in reality he couldn't," Rodrigo told g1. The Brasilia native travels with friends and his wife, Isabella Huerta. At the time of his arrest, he was taking images of the Yellow Green Movement (MVA), the official fans of the Brazilian team at the 2026 World Cup. According to him, the police approach came when he was already preparing to collect the equipment. Rodrigo says an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent approached and was followed by other officers. Brazilian fans celebrate in Times Square, New York The Brazilian says he was nervous and had an anxiety attack during the approach, but collaborated with the authorities. 🔎 According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and US law, flying a drone in the US is not a crime in itself. Flying the equipment in restricted areas, such as the bridge area, can lead to fines, arrest and investigation by security authorities. Rodrigo explained to the authorities that there were other drones in the region and that he was unaware of the ban on using the equipment. He also said that identification documents, such as passport and identity, were with his wife. The Brazilian sent g1 a proof of retention of the equipment (“receipt for property”), a document that records the approach and collection of the drone by the authorities (see image below). Brasiliense is detained after mistakenly flying a drone near the Brooklyn Bridge, in the USA Rodrigo Pereira/personal archive After checking the information, the drone and other items were retained by the FBI. Rodrigo was released, but received a US$1,000 fine for removing the equipment. READ MORE: CONCILIATION: 'Relieved and safe to return', says civil servant excluded from racial quotas after new inauguration at Itamaraty DURING BLITZ: Weapon seized from a soldier in the DF is registered in Bolsonaro's name, says Moraes' decision Read more news about the region on g1 DF.