What we know about the mysterious drone flying over New Jersey

The mystery continues to swirl after nearly a month of drone sightings in New Jersey, sparking fear among residents and fierce debate over what the flying objects are — and whether they are drone or not.

US authorities could not give a definitive answer, saying only that the objects were not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available images showed that many reported drone sightings were actually manned aircraft.

But on Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said some sightings were actually drones, as well as manned aircraft that were often mistaken for drones.

He added that he knew of “no foreign involvement” regarding the drone sightings.

Some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of drone reports and the lack of information available to the public.

Here’s what we know.

Dozens of drone sightings have been reported in New Jersey since November 18, according to local authorities.

The drones were initially spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that feeds into the Round Valley Reservoir — the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

The scene quickly spread to other parts of the state, including the New Jersey coast.

Several flights were detected near Picatinny Arsenal – a sensitive military research facility – as well as near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in the town of Bedminster, New Jersey.

In nearby New York City, several drones were reported to have flown over the Bronx on December 12, a police official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

Officers responding to the incident saw drones flying overhead but they disappeared shortly after.

According to New York State Police, drones have also been reported in other areas of the state, with runways at New York’s Stewart Airport forced to close because of drone activity into Friday, December 13, according to Governor Kathy Hochul.

“Last night, the runways at Stewart Airport were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace,” she said in a statement Saturday. This has gone too far.”

Police in Connecticut also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” has taken place in various parts of the state. A drone detection system has been deployed around the towns of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan claimed he saw dozens of drones flying over his residence in Davidsonville, about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington DC.

“Like many people who have observed these drones, I wonder if the increased activity in our skies is a threat to public safety,” he wrote on X. or national security or not”. about the federal government’s transparency and rejection.”

And in Boston, Massachusetts, two people were arrested on Saturday, December 14 after what police called “dangerous drone activity” near the airspace of Logan Airport on Long Island.

Both suspects, named as Robert Duffy and Jeremy Folcik, face trespassing charges and could be charged with other crimes or fined.

In late November, the US Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones had been detected on three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

British defense sources told the BBC that suspicion fell on a “state actor” responsible for the intrusions.

Drones were also reported near the US Ramstein military air base in Germany in early December.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones had been sighted for 17 days near US military facilities in Virginia.

In calls with reporters, officials from several US agencies tried to assure everyone that the drone was not the work of a foreign actor or a security threat. nation.

“I think there was a little bit of an overreaction,” an FBI official said.

While downplaying public concerns, authorities were keen to reiterate that investigations into drone sightings are still underway.

“We certainly understand why people are concerned,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. That’s one of the reasons we dedicate significant resources.”

“At the same time, it is important to understand that we do not have any current evidence that there is a threat to public safety,” DHS added.

The Secretary of Homeland Security told ABC News on Sunday that he knew of “no foreign involvement in the sightings in the northeast. And we are very vigilant in investigating the matter.” this topic.”

“If there is any cause for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public,” he added.

He said additional resources, personnel and technology have been deployed to assist New Jersey State Police in investigating drone sightings.

He added that the Department of Homeland Security is working “in close coordination” with state and local authorities, adding that it is “critical” that state and local governments are given the ability to drone operations under federal oversight.

New York Gov. Hochul said Sunday that while she was grateful to the federal government for its support so far, more is needed. “Congress must pass a law that gives us the authority to deal directly with the drone issue,” she wrote in a post on X.

Both federal and state authorities have said they do not believe drones are dangerous or pose a threat to US national security.

After a briefing with the Department of Homeland Security on December 11, New Jersey Congresswoman Dawn Fantasia said drones appeared to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radio.

Fantasia said the drones are up to 6ft (1.8m) in diameter, move with the lights off and “operate in coordination”.

Her comments are in complete contrast to the White House’s claim that this is a “manned aircraft”.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security also said the majority of sightings were legitimate, manned or drone flights.

No cases were reported in the restricted airspace, the statement added.

Secretary Mayorkas told ABC that the explanation for the increase in drone sightings may be related to a change in federal law last year that allowed drones to fly at night.

“That could be one of the reasons why people are seeing more drones now than before, especially from dawn to dusk,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement Friday saying more people are using drones, meaning more people are noticing them in the skies.

It added that while drones can fly in most locations below 400ft (121m), drones cannot fly in controlled airspace around airports without permission. FAA permission; on designated facilities sensitive to national security; at certain military bases, infrastructure and national landmarks; and in temporarily restricted airspace.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones – which has not been confirmed at this time – it is unclear who could be controlling them.

Citing anonymous “senior sources,” New Jersey Republican representative Jeff Van Drew said they came from an Iranian “mother ship” in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Pentagon quickly denied the comment, saying “it’s not true.”

“There are no Iranian ships off the coast of the United States and no so-called mother ships launching drones toward the United States,” deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi – who sits on the congressional committee that covers the Chinese Communist Party – told media outlet NewsNation that there was a “not insignificant” possibility that China could join.

“It’s certainly a possibility, and the likelihood that they could access the data collected by these drones is very high,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House both confirmed that these objects were not of foreign origin.

Van Drew and other lawmakers have rejected those denials.

“Here’s the deal: they don’t know what it is,” Van Drew told Fox News. They don’t know what it’s about.” “They don’t know where it came from, but they know what it’s not about? That’s absurd.”

In a separate incident across the country, a northern California man was charged on December 11 with flying a drone over and taking photos of Vandenberg Air Force Base, located near Vandenberg Air Force Base. Santa Barbara.

The incident allegedly occurred on November 30, according to prosecutors.

The man, Yinpiao Chu, 39 years old, a Chinese national, was arrested shortly before boarding a flight to China. He appeared in court on Tuesday and no plea was entered.

There is no suggestion the incident is linked to the spate of reports of drone sightings on the east coast.

Some lawmakers have suggested that drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intentions.

Among them is President-elect Donald Trump, who used his Truth Social media platform to suggest that drones cannot fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the public know now,” he wrote. “If not, shoot them down.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also established temporary flight restrictions banning drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who engage in unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 and have their pilot certificates revoked. drones.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden published on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called on federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery, as well as push Congress to expand anti-drone capabilities for local law enforcement.

Some residents suggested they could take action against drones themselves – something authorities have strongly warned against doing because it is illegal.

“A good handgun will solve that problem,” one man commented on a drone video on social media.