The United States intercepted several streams of signals intelligence about a week ago suggesting that elements within the Syrian regime transferred some amount of chemical agents, possibly including sarin nerve gas, to the Homs region, a senior U.S. defense source told Fox News.

There is no evidence that these chemical agents have been weaponized or employed, but the latest intelligence suggests there was movement of a portion of Syria's vast chemical stockpile.

According to the defense source, it is not clear whether the move was authorized by President Bashar Assad. The transfer may have been carried out by local commanders within the Syrian military frustrated that they cannot suppress the rebellion in Homs, the heart of the uprising over the past 16 months.

If these commanders were, in fact, acting on their own, this latest intelligence suggests a possible breakdown in leadership and authority within the regime, the defense source said.