Mysterious drone sightings across New Jersey have been on the rise for weeks, with people contacting authorities and posting on social media about the aircraft acting strangely, especially at night. These reports also spread to New York City, with claims of sightings in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week temporarily banned drones from flying over the Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton, New Jersey, and a golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump in Bedminster. While the mystery has become a growing sensation, there is virtually no information about whether the sightings are connected or represent something out of the ordinary.
Vague and non-confirming statements from state and federal authorities have complicated the issue and piqued public interest. But on Thursday, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement emphasizing that ongoing state and federal investigations have found no evidence of foreign interference or threats of any kind. Ministry of Defense shared the same conclusion At a press conference Wednesday. The FBI and DHS also added that no witnesses have identified any drones.
“We are assisting local law enforcement in New Jersey with a variety of detection methods, but have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings through electronic detection,” the U.S. agency said. said From the statement. “On the contrary, after reviewing the available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are in fact manned aircraft operating legally. “There have been no reported or confirmed drone sightings in restricted airspace.”
Multiple federal agencies have been cooperating with New Jersey State Police in the investigation, but the FBI and DHS said in a statement that “while there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, reported sightings are lacking.” The phrase “of the current authorities” appears to refer to weeks of uncertainty as to which agency was responsible for providing a public account of the sighting.
“Today I spoke with White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall to discuss our concerns about the federal government’s response to recent drone sightings in New Jersey,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said. wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “On behalf of the public, I will continue to demand answers from the federal government, including the FBI.”
Other politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat and Sen. Andy Kim, and other politicians announced Thursday that the FBI, DHS , sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration asking for more. Transparency and briefing on investigations.
