CIA whistleblower suggests drones searching for missing 'suitcase' nuke

Former CIA agent and whistleblower Kevin Shipp suggested Wednesday that the mysterious drones flying over New Jersey and Virginia could be part of a government program in order to search for radiation spikes in different states. 

"My concern is that these are radiation-detecting drones under a covert CIA plausible deniability program that are searching for radiation spikes," Shipp said on the John Solomon Reports podcast.

"These drones are focusing, and if they're sniffing for radiation, my big concern, and I knew this when I was in the Counter Terrorism Center, there are at least four suitcase-size nuclear weapons that disappeared with the fall of the Soviet Union and went on to the black market," he added. "My concern is that these are radiation-detecting drones under a covert CIA plausible-deniability program, that are searching for radiation spikes. And they're worried that this could be one of these suitcase devices."

Shipp explained that the CIA has a sophisticated drone program that uses CBRNE, or Chemical, Biological, Radio, Nuclear Explosive, detectors to pick up signs of high radiation in the event of a pending attack.

"We have to ask about the cities and states where these drones are over," he said. "What is there? What could be the target? Why are they over a lot of these DOD [Department of Defense] military bases?"

The Federal Aviation Administration last week issued two flight restrictions on the area surrounding President-elect Donald Trump's Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, following questionable drone activity. The drone sightings were first reported on Nov. 18.

Federal officials have claimed they do not know much about the drones, but have assured the public that there has been no threat to the American people as a result of the activity. The Pentagon also said officials have not found any evidence that a foreign entity is behind it.

Shipp criticized the Pentagon for its response to the drones, asserting that defense officials are lying to the American public about them.

"What that does is that falls under the CIA's doctrine from 1948 of plausible deniability, where they can do these things and just say they don't know anything about it as long as it's not attributable directly to the White House or the administration," he said. 

The FBI and CIA have not responded to requests for comment.