A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and parts of the East Coast in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern about who the drones were and why they were launched.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden seeking answers. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim went on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey on Thursday night and posted about it on X.
Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that drones do not appear to pose a threat to public safety, but many state and city lawmakers are still calling for stricter rules on who can fly drones.
The FBI is one of several agencies investigating and is asking residents to share videos, photos and other information they may have about the drone.
Dozens of witnesses reported seeing them in the state starting in November.
They were first spotted flying along the scenic Raritan River, which feeds Round Valley Reservoir, the state’s largest aquifer, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of New York City.
But sightings were soon reported across the state, including near Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
The aircraft was also recently spotted off the coast.
Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Smith said a Coast Guard commander told him a dozen drones were closely tracking a guard lifeboat near Barnegat Lighthouse and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County over the weekend.
The growing anxiety among some residents has not gone unnoticed by the Biden administration, which has been criticized by Trump for not handling the matter more aggressively.
In a conference call with reporters organized by the White House on Saturday, top officials from the FBI, Pentagon, FAA and other agencies sought to reassure people that the drones did not pose a threat to national security or public safety and were not malicious. The work of foreign actors. .
An FBI official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said the public’s concerns were understandable, but added, “I think the reaction was a little over the top.”
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday that the military’s initial assessment — in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council — that the drones were not of foreign origin remained unchanged.
A New Jersey congressman is urging the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to shoot down one or more drones to find out who deployed them.
Smith told a news conference on Saturday that the objects could have been shot down over the ocean or over uninhabited areas on land.
“Why can’t we at least capture a drone and find out the truth?” Smith said.
Another Republican Jersey Shore congressman, Jeff Van Drew, also called on the military to shoot down the drones.
Monmouth County Sheriff Sean Golden said people should not take it upon themselves to shoot down drones because it would violate state and federal law.
New York City has now reported drone sightings that require a permit, and Mayor Eric Adams said the city is investigating and working with New Jersey and federal officials.
Stewart International Airport, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the city, was closed for about an hour Friday night due to drone activity in the airspace, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
“This has gone too far,” she said in a statement.
The governor called on Congress to strengthen FAA oversight of drones and give state and local law enforcement more investigative powers.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our counterparts is critical,” she said. “Until state and local officials gain these powers, the Biden administration must step in and send additional federal law enforcement to New York and surrounding areas to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and people.”
The White House said a review of reported sightings showed many of them were actually manned aircraft flying legally, echoing the sentiments of officials and drone experts.
The federal Department of Homeland Security and the FBI also said in a joint statement that they had no evidence that the sightings posed a “national security or public safety threat or had a foreign nexus.”
Congresswoman Dawn Fantasia, who was briefed by the Department of Homeland Security, said the reported drones were up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes turned off their lights while flying. That’s much larger than drones typically flown by drone enthusiasts, and she said they appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radios.
Authorities said they didn’t know.
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and state police are investigating the sightings. Authorities said they didn’t know if it was a drone that had been spotted multiple times or if there were multiple aircraft flying together.
Speculation is rampant online, with some fearing the drone or drones may be part of a sinister plot by foreign agents.
Officials stressed that ongoing state and federal investigations have not found any evidence to support those concerns, but Rep. Smith responded to such speculation Saturday.
“The elusive manipulation of these drones demonstrates the sophistication of a major military force, raising the question of whether they are being deployed to test our defenses—or worse—by violent authoritarian regimes. , maybe Russia, China, Iran or North Korea,” he said.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singer said Wednesday that the aircraft were not U.S. military drones.
Trump said he believed the administration knew more than it was telling. “Let the public know, now. Otherwise, shoot ’em down!!!” he posted on his social media site.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Thursday that drones “should be shot down if necessary.”
“We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and getting them out of the sky, especially when they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Blumenthal said.
However, experts warn against shooting at anything in the sky.
Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, N.J., who lives near Round Valley Reservoir, where several sightings have occurred, said she did not believe drones did not pose a public safety risk threatening statement.
“How can you say it’s not a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are upset.”
Drone flying for recreational and commercial purposes is legal in the state, subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions.
In New York City, you need a permit to take off or land a drone.
Operators must obtain FAA certification.
Sightings have also been reported in Virginia and elsewhere.
Two people say they spotted a plane near Virginia Beach Thursday night that was unlike any other they had seen.
John Knight told The Virginian-Pilot the object was over the ocean and they watched it slowly move over the Army National Guard installation.
“It’s definitely different,” said Knight, who captured the video from what he thought was a small truck-sized drone.
“It flies like a helicopter but doesn’t make any noise,” he added.
The Virginia National Guard did not have any aircraft operating in the area Thursday night, according to spokesman AA “Cotton” Puryear. Its leadership has been informed of the incident and is being investigated.
Another military installation in the area is the Naval Air Station near Oceana Dam Neck. NAS Oceana, the main East Coast jet base in Virginia Beach, is aware of recent reports of sightings in the area and is coordinating with federal and state agencies to respond, public affairs officer Katie Hewett said Friday. Ensure the safety of its personnel and operations. Via email.
Knight submitted the videos to the FBI tip line Thursday night.
In Massachusetts, 10 to 15 drones were reported hovering over a home in Harwich, Cape Cod, on Thursday night. One resident told police they were bright and she observed them for more than an hour.
Earlier that night, an off-duty police officer in the same town noticed similar activity near the Public Safety Center, police said. The information was forwarded to the FBI and Massachusetts State Police.
Drones were also spotted in the UK last month. The U.S. Air Force said it had spotted several small drones near four military bases in England used by U.S. forces.
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Miller reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press writers Bruce Schreiner (Shelbyville, Ky.) and Aamer Madhani (West Palm Beach, Fla.) contributed.