The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a month-long ban on drones for parts of New Jersey, citing “special safety reasons.”
The temporary flight restrictions cover nearly two dozen towns and cities, from Camden to Bayonne, Edison, Harrison and Jersey City. It bans unmanned aircraft from operating within one “nautical mile” of specified airspace – largely over “New Jersey critical infrastructure” – including from the ground up to 400 feet.
Those who violate the order “may be intercepted and/or detained and interviewed by federal, state, or local law enforcement or other government personnel.” The FAA added that in addition to criminal prosecution, it could also take administrative action, including imposing civil penalties and suspending or revoking operators’ certificates.
The agency further warned that “the United States government could use lethal force against the airborne [aircraft]if it is determined that the [aircraft] poses an immediate threat to security.”
The ban — which will remain in effect until Jan. 17 — is the latest twist in the mysterious drone saga plaguing the Garden State. The sightings began in November, in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, primarily in the skies over central and northern New Jersey.
In the weeks since, the sightings have spread to nearby states, including New York near LaGuardia Airport.
The FBI said in a joint statement with the FAA, Department of Homeland Security and Defense Department that it has received more than 5,000 tips about drone sightings in the tri-state area as of Monday.
“After carefully examining technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we have concluded that sightings to date include a combination of legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars wrongly reported as drones,” the statement said.
“We have not identified anything abnormal and do not assess the activities to date as a risk to national security or public safety over civil airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast,” the report continued.
Other lawmakers, including President Biden and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, have also repeatedly said the drones do not pose any threat, but that it has done little to calm concerned residents who continue to demand answers.
President-elect Trump recently took to social media to speak out about the drones, some of which have been spotted near his National Golf Club in Bedminster and the Picatinny Arsenal military base in Rockaway.
Temporary flight restrictions were issued for Bedminster and Picatinny Arsenal earlier this month and remain in place.
“Mysterious drone sightings across the country,” Trump wrote in a post shared on Truth Social on Friday. “Can this really happen without the knowledge of our government? I don’t think so! Let the public know, now. Otherwise, shoot them!!!”
