FBI Warns Drone Attacks Could Soon Reach the United States

FBI Deputy Director Chris Wray warned in an interview with Fox News that it is only a matter of time before the kinds of drone attacks seen in Ukraine and the Middle East reach the United States. He said the main threat now is attacks carried out with drones, and that he is more worried about a lone attacker than about a mass-casualty strike like the September 11 attacks.

Wray said rapid technological progress has made commercial drones cheaper and easier to obtain, giving individuals and small groups capabilities once reserved for large organizations and militaries. “We have seen it overseas, and it is only a matter of time before someone brings this type of attack to the United States,” he said.

He added that the FBI is preparing for the next generation of drones, which could operate through 5G and LTE cellular networks instead of only short-range radio links. “That means someone in China could control a drone over New Orleans,” he warned, saying such capability would make it harder for law enforcement to identify operators and stop attacks in advance.

Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino also recently issued a similar warning. “This technology is developing on a weekly, if not monthly, basis,” he said. “Do not think terrorists and people looking to do malicious acts have not noticed. It is cheap and very hard to stop.”