Reuters
Bengaluru, Updated At: 09:25 AM Mar 19, 2026 IST
U.S. officials detected unidentified drones over Fort McNair, the Washington military post in Washington where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth live, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three people briefed on the matter.
The report said officials have not yet determined the origin of the drones, citing two people familiar with the investigation. The sightings prompted consideration of whether to relocate Rubio and Hegseth, though a senior administration official told the Post that neither secretary has been moved.
The Washington Post said the military has intensified monitoring of potential threats amid a heightened alert level tied to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran and related security concerns in the United States.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the Washington Post’s account immediately. The Pentagon and the U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to discuss the drone sightings with the Washington Post, saying the department cannot comment on the secretary’s (Hegseth’s) movements for security reasons and calling reporting on such movements “grossly irresponsible.”
