The officials confirmed that two missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward a commercial tanker vessel in the Red Sea. The projectiles missed the ship, the report said.
The attempted attack happened as the tanker was sailing into the Red Sea on its way toward the Suez Canal.
The drone was believed to be heading directly at the USS Mason, which is the warship that shot down the unmanned aircraft, officials told ABC News.
The US navy reportedly has not yet been able to assess whether the USS Mason was the drone's target.
The rise in attacks on commercial vessels in the region comes amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
On Tuesday, the US Central Command confirmed media reports that a tanker was attacked in the Red Sea by what is believed to be an anti-ship cruise missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen with no casualties.
Geir Belsnes, the CEO of J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, the Norwegian company that owns the Strinda tanker, said later in the day that the crew of the vessel was not injured, and the ship was on its way to a safe port.