Secret Serviceman evacuates White House during previous security breach (file)
Secret Serviceman evacuates White House during previous security breach (file)Reuters

In a shocking breach of security, an electronic device described as a small drone was recovered on the grounds of the White House on Monday.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the incident in a press briefing in New Delhi, India, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Earnest was asked about initial reports of a possible drone being found at the White House and said he wasn't familiar with them.

Then at the end of the news conference, after checking his BlackBerry, he said a small drone was indeed discovered on the grounds but "doesn't pose any ongoing threat" to US President Barack Obama's family.

He added that the Secret Service is investigating the incident, adding "that's my understanding." Reportedly a security perimeter has been set up around the White House grounds limiting access.

Obama and his wife Michelle are currently traveling in India for a three-day trip, which will conclude with a stop in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Their daughters Malia and Sasha are in the White House with their grandmother.

This is not the first recent security breach in the White House; last November a woman was arrested for carrying a gun outside the White House during a protest, just days after a man was arrested outside the building with a hunting rifle, dozens of rounds of ammunition and a knife in his car.

A similar set of back-to-back incidents occurred last September, when two men broke into the White House within a 24-hour period. One managed to get far into the building, leading the White House to be evacuated.