There are reports of this all over New Jersey mysterious drone sightings The number of cases has been increasing for weeks, with people contacting authorities and posting on social media about strange aircraft behavior, especially at night. Reports have also spread to New York City, with alleged sightings in State Island, Brooklyn and Queens. The US Federal Aviation Administration this week in New Jersey imposed a temporary ban on drones flying over the Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton and a golf course owned by US President-elect Donald Trump in Bedminster. Although the mystery is attracting increasing attention, there is virtually no information available as to whether the sightings are related or represent anything unusual.
Vague and noncommittal statements from state and federal authorities have only complicated matters and fueled public intrigue. However, on Thursday, a joint statement from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security stressed that ongoing state and federal investigations had found no evidence of foreign involvement or a threat of any kind. The Ministry of Defense shared the same conclusion in a press conference on Wednesday. Additionally, the FBI and DHS added that none of the sightings were proven to be drones at all.
“We are assisting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods, but have not confirmed any reported visual sightings through electronic detection,” US authorities said said in a statement. “On the contrary, upon reviewing the available images, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft operating legally. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in restricted airspace.”
Several federal agencies cooperated with the New Jersey State Police in the investigation, but the FBI and DHS noted in their statement that “while there is no known malicious activity in New Jersey, reported sightings there highlight the inadequacy.” current authorities,” apparently referring to weeks of uncertainty over which institution was responsible for issuing a public statement about the sightings.
“Today I spoke with White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall to discuss my concerns about the federal government’s response to recent drone sightings in New Jersey,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “I will continue to press the federal government, including the FBI, for answers on behalf of the public.”
Other politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrats of New York, and Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, Democrats of New Jersey, sent a letter Thursday to the FBI, DHS and Federal Aviation Administration to demand more transparency and briefing on the investigation.
