A series of mysterious drone sightings On the East Coast, lawmakers are searching for solutions to an unknown problem and federal agencies are “pointing fingers at each other” to figure out what’s going on, Trump’s likely incoming national security adviser said Sunday.
“We need to know who’s behind it,” said Rep. Mike Waltz, a Florida Republican picked by President-elect Donald Trump as national security adviser. “But right now I think law enforcement seems to be… the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense are doing these kinds of things and pointing fingers at each other.”
Speaking on “Face the Nation with Margaret BrennanWaltz said Sunday that he believes the drone issue — which has sparked outrage and demands for answers from citizens and leaders alike — highlights the gaps in authority between local law enforcement agencies and federal agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security .
“I think Americans have a hard time believing that we can’t figure out where these come from,” he added. “It points to gaps in our capabilities and in our ability to suppress what’s happening here. And we need to get to the bottom of this.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, echoed the congresswoman’s concerns in a separate interview Sunday on “Face the NationIn addition to a briefing for members of the Senate to discuss the situation, she also called for “more transparency” and “new regulations” on the use of drones.
“We have to figure out: Do we really want all these drones? Because while these may be safe, who knows what will happen in the future?” Klobuchar said. ‘They have to be within 400 meters [from the ground]so what will these things be? Flying over people’s family picnics, over their homes and over beaches? This is not going to be a good future if we see too much of it.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, announced Sunday that he is working on a bill in the Senate that would give local authorities more resources for drone detection. He also asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to deploy drone detection technology in New York and New Jersey.
“The laws about where and when and who can fly drones are quite limited. This legislation will help,” Schumer said during a briefing. “We’ve spoken to Homeland Security and the FBI and told them we need answers quickly.”
Amid lawmakers’ comments, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that he had seen drones from his own home.
“Two mornings ago, at 7:15 in the morning, I saw them above my house,” Christie said. “My wife too, and so yeah, they’re here. And I’ve been traveling around New Jersey all week, like I normally do. And I can’t tell you how many people have come to me, worried about It.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday that her state would receive a drone detection system from the federal government.
“I’m grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that gives us the power to deal directly with the drones,” the governor said in a statement.
Drones have been spotted in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and other eastern states, sometimes flying near military installations, as well as near Trump’s golf course in Bedminister, New Jersey. A federal official said Thursday that the FBI was leading the investigation into the sightings. An FBI official told CBS News the same day that the bureau had received several thousand tips, and that local police were also investigating.
Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey suggested last week that there was an Iranian “mothership” off the east coast of the United States that launched the drones, which Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh refuted.
Two people were arrested in Boston on Saturday evening on trespassing charges after police said they were involved in a “dangerous drone operation.” CBS Boston reports this. An officer spotted a drone flying near Logan Airport and tracked down the drone’s location, altitude and flight history to trace the machine back to its apparent operators, Robert Duffy, 42, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, according to Boston police.
