Robert Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, told a Senate panel Wednesday morning that his agency uses drones for domestic surveillance purposes:

“Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on US soil?” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Mr. Mueller during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Yes,” Mueller responded bluntly, adding that the FBI’s operation of drones is “very seldom.”

Director Mueller said that while the FBI owns “several” unmanned aerial vehicles, no comprehensive policies or guidelines have yet been developed by his organization to govern the use of the controversial aircraft.