President Donald Trump confirms federal authorities are investigating reports of potential Iranian drone strikes targeting California, while revealing that U.S. intelligence monitors suspected sleeper cells across the country.
Intercepted Communications Spark Concerns
Authorities intercepted encrypted messages from Iran on Monday, serving as an operational trigger for sleeper assets in the United States. These developments heightened alerts, prompting the FBI to notify California law enforcement on Wednesday about possible retaliatory drone attacks on the West Coast amid ongoing U.S. military actions against Iran.
Trump’s Response to Reporters
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after an event in Kentucky, Trump stated, “It’s being investigated. You have a lot of things happening and all we can do is take them as they come.”
He attributed the presence of potential sleeper cells to prior immigration policies, saying, “I have been briefed and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border. But we know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think.” Trump described former President Joe Biden as “the worst president in the history of our country.”
Trump also highlighted progress in the conflict, noting, “Iran is being absolutely decimated. We’ve knocked out all of their boats. I think we’re in very good shape.”
FBI Alert Details Potential Attack
The FBI bulletin warns that Iran sought to launch a surprise assault using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the U.S. coast, aimed at unspecified targets in California in response to American strikes. “We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack,” the update states.
Obstacles from Government Shutdown
Trump blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats for a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, claiming it hampers responses. “One of the things we have to do is get the Democrats to stop the Democrat shutdown because, as you know, the apparatus that looks into that, Schumer and the Democrats have shut it down,” he said, adding that the move indicates Democrats “probably hate our country a lot.”
Broader Drone and Cyber Threats
Iran relies heavily on drones for retaliation in the Middle East. Recent upticks in Mexican cartel drone activity near the southern border raise additional security concerns, following a September government warning of potential strikes on U.S. personnel.
Simultaneously, Iran-linked group Handala claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Michigan-based medical technology firm Stryker, causing a global outage affecting thousands of employees. The group stated on Telegram that it wiped over 200,000 systems and extracted 50 terabytes of data in retaliation for strikes on Iran and other actions. “Our major cyber operation has been executed with complete success,” Handala declared, targeting offices in 79 countries. Stryker operates in more than 100 nations, specializing in joint replacements, robotic surgery, and neurotechnology.
