Man held trying to launch drone outside White House

A man has been arrested after trying to launch a drone outside the White House fence, a federal law enforcement official said.

The White House, Washington DC, USA. Image by Stefan Fussan / CC BY-SA 2.0 Image by Stefan Fussan / CC BY-SA 2.0

The official said it was unclear if the man intended to fly the aircraft at the US President Barack Obama’s executive mansion or whether he was trying to take aerial photos.

The incident comes nearly four months after a quadcopter drone piloted by an off-duty US intelligence employee landed on the White House lawn. The Secret Service said at the time that the landing appeared to be accidental and not a security threat.

The incident led the agency to focus more attention on drone-related security issues.

(Press Association)