A small drone known as a "quad copter" was discovered by the U.S. Secret Service on the grounds of the White House early on Monday morning, the Associated Press reported.
The "quad copter" device, approximately two feet in diameter, was spotted "flying at a very low altitude above the White House before ultimately crashing on the southeast side of the complex" at 3:08 a.m. by a Secret Service Uniformed Division officer, Secret Service spokeswoman Nicole Mainor said in a statement. But White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the situation "does not pose any sort of ongoing threat."
"An investigation is underway to determine the origin of this commercially available device, motive, and to identify suspects. As additional information becomes available we will update our statement," Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said.
Following the discovery during Monday's pre-dawn hours, the White House complex was immediately alerted and locked down until the device was examined and cleared, with a security parameter set up and emergency vehicles being clustered near the southeast entrance to the mansion.
However, according to early indications, the device reportedly posed no threat to anyone in the building, Reuters reported.
Currently, the Secret Service is attempting to find the suspects, determine the motive for the drone's flight, and investigate the origin of the drone, which is a commercially available model.
Meanwhile Obama and his wife, Michelle, are on a three-day visit to India as part of a diplomatic push to forge closer ties with the country, with a stop planned in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday before they return to Washington.
Their daughters, Sasha and Malia, and the first lady's mother, Michelle Robinson, stayed behind. It was unclear whether or not the president's daughters were at home at the time of the incident.
"I don't have any reason to think at this point that the first family is in any danger," Earnest said.
For the past year, the Secret Service patrolling the grounds of the White House has been in the national spotlight ever since a man managed to hop the fence and get inside the White House through an unlocked door. The incident led to the resignation of the Secret Service's director and reassignment of other top level officials, CNN reported.
