The presence of drones hovering over a Washington-area Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth live had officials fearing that it was a scouting mission to prepare for an attack.
Several drones were seen over Fort Lesley J. McNair on one night in the past 10 days, according to The Washington Post.
But the context — a war with Iran, a nation that has long called for assassinating top American leaders — adds urgency to the situation.
The Washington Post report, based on unnamed sources, said officials have not identified who launched the drones.
However, their very presence prompted heightened security measures and a White House meeting.
Unlike Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently moved to an undisclosed military base for security reasons, the residences of Rubio and Hegseth have been public knowledge for months.
The Washington Post report said the two officials have not moved.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell would not discuss the issue.
“The department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible,” he said.
The drone sightings came after Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida increased their security status to “Charlie,” only one step below the highest level, which is called “Delta.”
MacDill, the home base for U.S. Central Command, received what the FBI has called a suspicious package on Monday and on Wednesday experienced a security incident that led to a shelter-in-place order.
The State Department has ordered all American diplomatic posts worldwide to review and enhance their security.
🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: Drones detected over the base where Secretary of State Rubio and Defense Secretary Hegseth live.
Multiple domestic military bases locked down.
The U.S. just issued a global security alert for all diplomatic posts overseas.
The war in Iran isn’t 7,000 miles… https://t.co/9KFuyunryK pic.twitter.com/QAKy1KE3qr
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 19, 2026
One expert said attackers can often emerge from the shadows, according to The New York Times.
“If you don’t know anything about them and no one’s reported them and they’re not a subject of a prior investigation, how are you supposed to find those people?” Javed Ali, a former senior U.S. counterterrorism official who teaches at the University of Michigan, remarked.
Iran has “become incredibly emboldened in recent years, and it’s clear they have less fear of trying to operate on U.S. soil,” Alex Plitsas, an expert on terrorism at the Atlantic Council, said.
“And if the regime is near collapse and they see an existential threat and the current tactics that they are using for retaliation aren’t working, the fear is that they could escalate to something along those lines,” he added.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
