DHS Warns: Drones May Be Used By Terrorists And Criminals
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DHS has circulated an intelligence assessment to police agencies across the United States warning about drones being used as weapons in an attack. CBS News reports that the bulletin went out Friday and warned state and municipal law enforcement agencies that terrorist and criminals may begin to use drones to advance their goals.
“Emerging adversary use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems [UAS] present detection and disruption challenges,” the intelligence bulletin warns.
Federal law enforcement and intelligence officials say that “The rising trend in UAS incidents within the National Airspace System will continue, as UAS gain wider appeal with recreational users and commercial applications.”
“We cannot rule [out] the ability of future adversaries to acquire and use a commercially available [drone] as part of an attack within the Homeland,” according to the assessment issued Friday by the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis, or I&A.
The intelligence bulletin adds that, “while many of these encounters are not malicious in nature, they underscore potential security vulnerabilities… that could be used by adversaries to leverage UAS as part of an attack.”
CBS News notes that DHS circulates intelligence bulletins almost weekly, as federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies learn of and responds to threats from ISIS and its sympathizers in the United States. The circulation of a bulletin dedicated to UAS threat is not common, however.
According to HomeLand Security New Wire , the bulletin, though, does not refer to any specific event, but is rather a reminder to local law enforcement to be more aware of the overall, and new, security challenges drones pose.
