House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul, R-Texas, warned Tuesday that some of the unidentified aircraft spotted over the East Coast are likely Chinese “spy drones.” McCaul’s comments came before a classified briefing on drone activity, raising national security concerns.
According to the New York Post, McCaul said, “These drones have been reported over military sites, military bases. I would not think those are friendly. I would think those are adversarial.” He added that based on his experience, these aircraft likely originate from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). McCaul and other members of the House Intelligence Committee received briefings from the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon about the drone incursions.
The Biden administration has downplayed these concerns, attributing the drones to commercial and hobbyist operations. In a joint statement, the FBI, FAA, Pentagon, and Department of Homeland Security suggested the sightings include “lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones,” as well as manned aircraft and misidentified stars.
However, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) expressed skepticism about the government’s explanations. Speaking to WRIC ABC 8News, Smith said, “It’s not reassuring. Tell us how you know that.”
These developments follow the 2023 incident when a Chinese surveillance balloon drifted across the U.S., undetected for days. The Biden administration faced significant criticism for not acting sooner, only shooting the balloon down off the coast of South Carolina.
McCaul suggested that China’s current activities align with previous espionage tactics, noting reports of Chinese entities purchasing land near sensitive military bases. “I believe they’re spy drones,” he said. “The PRC and Communist China is very good at this stuff. This would be very consistent with their policy over the past couple of years.”
McCaul expressed frustration with the lack of clear answers from federal agencies. “We’re not getting answers, and I think it’s because our government does not know who is behind them, and that is very disturbing to me,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. “For some reason, they don’t want to tell the people, and they should,” Trump said. “Something strange is going on.”
As these incidents raise more questions, lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to prioritize transparency and national security. The potential for adversarial surveillance over U.S. military sites underscores ongoing tensions with China and the need for vigilance.
