A major security alert has been triggered after unidentified drones were spotted over a military base that houses top Trump administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The drone sightings over Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., prompted discussions about relocating both Hegseth and Rubio amid fears of a possible attack linked to the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, sources told The Washington Post.
The drones over the base also sparked heightened security measures and a meeting at the White House to discuss a potential response.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to confirm the sightings or whether Hegseth had been moved from the military home typically occupied by the Army’s vice chief of staff. “The department cannot comment on the secretary’s movements for security reasons, and reporting on such movements is grossly irresponsible.”
The U.S. has been on high alert since Donald Trump launched the war in Iran on Feb. 28. This week, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida raised their force protection level to Charlie, which is implemented when intelligence suggests an attack against U.S. personnel or facilities is likely.
The FBI is also investigating a suspicious package left at MacDill Air Force Base, home to U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations against Iran, that forced the base’s visitor center to close for hours on Monday.
Another unspecified security incident left the base under a shelter-in-place order for hours on Wednesday.
“To ensure the safety and security of our people and the mission, commanders adjust their installation’s security posture in accordance with local threat assessments,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement.
The heightened security concerns come as several top Trump administration officials have taken the unusual step of moving into U.S. military bases at the same time.
Along with Hegseth and Rubio, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, departing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi “ICE Barbie” Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi have all moved into military housing, citing security fears.
Rubio reportedly moved into his residence at Fort McNair last October, just a few doors down from Hegseth, shortly after being sworn in as secretary of state.
Miller is believed to have moved into military housing after his wife, MAGA podcaster Katie Miller, said she was confronted at their Arlington home.
Last week, The New York Times reported that Bondi had moved out of her apartment and into the same Army base housing other Trump administration officials due to threats related to her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files saga and efforts targeting drug cartels.
Noem had also been living for several months in the home designated for the Coast Guard commandant on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington after photos of her D.C. apartment were published by the Daily Mail.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Pentagon and State Department for comment.
