You see drones.
That’s according to the head of the US homeland security service.
In a television interview Sunday, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the federal government has “deployed additional resources, personnel and technology” to help state police make sense of a flood of drone sightings in the Garden State .
“Some of those drone sightings are in fact drones,” Mayorkas said on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “Some are manned aircraft that are often mistaken for drones and we see duplicate reporting, but there is no doubt that drones are being sighted.”
New Jersey residents have been seeing what can only be described as waves of mysterious drones over the Garden State in recent weeks.
Additionally, law enforcement members and even U.S. Coast Guard personnel have reported their own sightings. They have been spotted by military personnel at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck and Picattiny Arsenal in Morris County.
On Saturday, federal officials said the FBI is investigating nearly 100 reports of drone sightings that could not be attributed to manned aircraft.
Meanwhile, Mayorkas sought to allay concerns about a threat to national security or the work of a foreign power or actor.
“We know there is no foreign involvement in the sightings in the Northeast and we are vigilant as we investigate this matter,” Mayorkas said. “If there is any concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. At this time we are not aware of that.”
More than 8,000 drones — both recreational and commercial — are flown in the United States every day, Mayorkas said. In September 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed drones to fly at night.
“That may be one of the reasons why people are seeing more drones now than before, especially from dawn to dusk, and so that’s the reality,” he said. “But I want to assure the American public that we are on it.”
North Jersey has more drone sightings
Reports of drone activity began in mid-November, with New Jersey residents spotting large drones, some described as “car-sized.” Most sightings occur at night, often between sunset and 11 p.m
Notable hotspots include Morris, Sussex and Hunterdon counties, with multiple reports in cities such as Pequannock and Parsippany. Social media has added to the mystery, with one Facebook group dealing with the sightings gaining more than 68,000 members, a huge jump from December 11 when the group had 22,000 members. A brewery in North Jersey even released a beer called “Drone’s Ascent.”
Fantasia, Bucco and Christie call for better communication
In New Jersey, calls for more openness from the federal government continue as people remain baffled about what exactly is going on here.
“The conspiracy theories are frankly in abundance right now,” said state counselor Dawn Fantasia, R-Sparta, citing speculation about what the federal government knows and why it’s not being made public. “We’ve gotten to the point where it really has become a clown show. It’s an absolute clown show and it could have been prevented.”
Fantasia was one of the first state lawmakers to call on the state government for information about the growing interest in drone sightings. On Sunday she called for better communication.
“We need clear, valid and accurate information,” she said.
Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Denville, called for action after drone sightings caused the temporary closure of New York Stewart International Airport in Orange County on Friday evening.
‘Enough is enough. “The Biden administration’s weak response to these unidentified drones in New Jersey and New York will result in tragedy,” Bucco said in a statement on Sunday. “I’m tired of demanding answers. It’s time for action. This has gone on far too long.”
Former Governor Chris Christie also revealed his own drone sighting last week.
Christie said one hovered over his home in Morris County at 6:15 a.m. two mornings ago.
“That was a drone over my house, and I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve lived in that house for 30 years,” Christie said.
On “This Week,” former Governor Chris Christie said there has been a “lack of communication from government at the federal and state levels.” He called Mayorkas’ comments “a little bit of a better step, but I think it’s way too little too late.”
Without adequate information, “conspiracy theories are filled in,” he said.
Christie said state police should have the authority, in coordination with the FAA, to shoot down drones to find out what they are doing.
“What we’re going to find out, George (Stephanopoulos), is that you have individuals acting as drone vigilantes and they’re going to take them down,” Christie said. “That’s not what we want.”
Staff writer Gene Myers contributed to this report.
David P. Willis: dwillis@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Feds send help to NJ State Police to investigate drone sightings
