The numerous drone sightings by citizens in East Coast states are not unusual and do not pose a “risk to national security or public safety,” the FBI and three other federal agencies said in a joint statement Monday evening.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Defense Department and the FBI said commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones, as well as some manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars, were among the objects identified based on more than 5,000 tips. authorities have received in recent weeks. About 100 tips required further review, the agencies said.
“We have not identified anything abnormal and do not assess the activities to date as a risk to national security or public safety in civil airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast,” the agencies said in the joint statement. “That said, we recognize the concerns among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and law enforcement support.”
An apparent drone flies over Randolph, NJ on December 3.
The statement also said reports of drone sightings over military facilities “are not new.”
The Pentagon “takes unauthorized access to its airspace seriously and is coordinating closely with federal, state and local law enforcement authorities as appropriate,” the statement said, adding that local commanders are “actively engaged to ensure that appropriate detection and mitigation measures are in place his place.”
Since at least mid-November, concerned residents have reported drones in New Jersey and elsewhere on the East Coast.
Monday’s statement echoes one in which the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said last week that they had “no evidence” at the time that the drone sightings in New Jersey posed a threat.
Monday night’s joint statement also said that more than a million drones are legally registered with the FAA.
“As the technology landscape evolves, we expect this number to increase over time,” the report said.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and some members of Congress have demanded more information from federal officials amid conspiracy theories and growing public concern about the sightings.
At a news conference Monday in Florida, President-elect Donald Trump urged authorities to provide more information about the reports of drone sightings and said he planned to cancel a trip to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey .
“Something strange is going on,” he said. “For some reason they don’t want to tell people.”
The House Intelligence Committee will be briefed on the recent sightings on Tuesday afternoon, two sources familiar with the matter said. Officials from the FBI, CIA and Office of the National Intelligence Director will provide the briefing at 2:00 PM ET.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
