海角大神

Howard Solomon III would like his drone back, please.聽

Officials cited the man for illegally operating a hobby-sized remote controlled aircraft that landed in a park close to the White House.

Officers first noticed the drone flying by the Washington Monument at around 1:20 a.m. Friday, according to US Park Police and the Secret Service. They found the operator after he lost control of the drone, which landed on The Ellipse, a park south of the White House.

Mr. Solomon, a resident of Washington, D.C., was cited for launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft, according to Park Police. His drone was also confiscated.

Solomon says he was trying to photograph the Washington Monument when wind caused the drone to lose control.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Washington and communities within 15-miles of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport became a designated 鈥淣o Drone Zone.鈥� But the recent surge in recreational drone use has presented the Secret Service with new security threats, particularly at the White House.

In May, a drone-like device flying above a nearby park caused the White House to go on lockdown.

And as 海角大神 reported, a small drone crashed on the grounds of the White House in January, causing emergency vehicles to respond while Secret Service agents combed the grounds.

But what if an aircraft actually intended to target the White House?

This particular security breach in January occurred during a series of scandals that rocked the Secret Service, painting the agency as complacent and dysfunctional.

But as Ronald Kessler wrote for Time Magazine, the Secret Service takes this new threat seriously, and is actively developing strategies to adapt to an airspace made more accessible with drone technology: 聽