Several fighter jets were scrambled around U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort Saturday afternoon.
It was reported that F-16 fighter jets escorted three civilian planes out after circling the area several times.
Conservative news outlet Newsmax reported the incident, claiming that the planes had been scrambled by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). During two interceptions, the fighter jets were reportedly forced to deploy their flares, but ultimately, the planes were removed.
According to reports by Todd Starnes, a host on Newsmax, the incidents occurred at 11:05 a.m., 12:10 p.m., and 12:50 p.m. Officials are still investigating why all three aircraft were in the vicinity. Authorities have stated that things like this have been happening quite frequently.
A spokesperson for NORAD did not reveal exactly where the planes were over the coastal city, but there were reports of F-16s responding to the violations over Wellington, a more inland community. The final instance came on February 18, when NORAD reported the third civilian aircraft improperly flying over Palm Beach at approximately 10:49 a.m.
