What we know about the mysterious drones flying over New Jersey

The mystery continues to murmur nearly a month after drones were sighted over New Jersey, sparking fear among residents and a heated debate about what the flying objects were, and whether they were drones at all.

The US authorities were unable to provide specific answers, saying only that these items were not believed to pose a threat to public or national security.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that available images indicate that many of the reported drone sightings were in fact manned aircraft.

But Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that some of the sightings were actually drones, as well as planes flown by pilots mistaken for drones.

Some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of drone reports and the lack of information available to the public.

Here’s what we know.

Dozens of drones have been reported over New Jersey since Nov. 18, according to local authorities.

The drones were initially spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that feeds Round Valley Reservoir, the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

Sightings soon spread to other parts of the state, including coastal New Jersey.

Some of the flights were spotted near Picatinny Arsenal, a sensitive military research facility, as well as near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

In nearby New York City, several drones were reported flying over the Bronx on December 12, a police official told CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the US.

Officers responding to the incident saw drones flying overhead, but they disappeared shortly afterwards.

Drones have also been reported in other parts of the state, according to New York State Police, with the runways of New York’s Stuart Airport having to close due to drone activity on Friday, December 13, according to Governor Kathy Hochul.

“Last night, Stuart Airport’s runways were closed for approximately an hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far,” she said in a statement issued Saturday.

Police in Connecticut also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” had occurred in various parts of the state. A drone detection system has been deployed around the cities of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan claimed to have seen what appeared to be “dozens” of drones over his residence in Davidsonville, about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington, D.C.

“Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know whether this increased activity over our skies represents a threat to public safety or national security,” he wrote on X. “But the public is increasingly concerned and frustrated by the complete lack of transparency and dismissive stance of the federal government.”

In Boston, Massachusetts, two people were arrested on Saturday, December 14, following what police described as a “dangerous drone operation” near the airspace of Logan Airport on Long Island.

Both suspects, named as Robert Duffy and Jeremy Volcik, face trespassing charges and may be charged with other crimes or face fines.

In late November, the US Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones had been spotted over three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

British defense sources told the BBC that there were doubts that a “state actor” was responsible for the incursions.

Drones were also reported near the US military air base Ramstein in Germany in early December.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones had been sighted for 17 days near US military installations in Virginia.

In a call with reporters, officials from several US agencies tried to reassure people that the drones were not the work of a foreign entity or a threat to national security.

“I think there was a bit of an overreaction,” an FBI official said.

Despite downplaying public concern, the authorities were keen to reiterate that investigations into the drone sightings are still ongoing.

“We certainly understand why people are concerned. This is one reason we are devoting significant resources,” the Department of Homeland Security said.

“At the same time, it is important to understand that we have no current evidence of a threat to public safety,” DHS added.

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas told ABC News on Sunday that additional resources, personnel and technology have been deployed to assist New Jersey State Police in investigating the drone sightings.

He added that the Department of Homeland Security is working in “close coordination” with state and local authorities, adding that it is “important” to give state and local authorities the ability to counter drone activity under federal oversight.

New York Governor Hochul said on Sunday that while she was grateful to the federal government for its support so far, more was needed. “Congress should pass a law that gives us the ability to directly engage with drones.”

Federal and state authorities have said they do not believe the drones are dangerous or pose a threat to US national security.

After a briefing with the Department of Homeland Security on December 11, New Jersey State Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said drones appear to evade detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radio.

The drones are up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter, travel with the lights off and “operate in a coordinated manner,” Fantasia said.

Her comments stand in stark contrast to the White House, which noted that these were “manned aircraft.”

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also said the majority of sightings appear to be legal, manned flights or drones.

The statement added that no aircraft were reported in the restricted airspace.

Minister Mayorkas told ABC that the explanation for the rise in drone sightings may have something to do with a change in federal law last year that allowed drones to fly at night.

“This may be one reason why people are now seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn to dusk,” he added.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement on Friday saying more and more people are using drones, which means more people are noticing them in the sky.

She added that while drones can be flown at most locations below 400 feet (121 meters), drones cannot be flown within the controlled airspace around the airport without FAA authorization; On specific facilities that are sensitive to national security; In some military bases, infrastructure and national monuments; And in airspace covered by temporary flight restrictions.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones – which is unconfirmed at this point – it is unclear who might be operating them.

Citing anonymous “senior sources,” New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew said they were coming from an Iranian “mother ship” in the Atlantic.

The Pentagon quickly rejected the comment, saying, “There is no truth to that.”

“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there is no so-called mother ship launching drones toward the United States,” Deputy Ministry Spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Democratic Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamurthy — a member of a congressional committee that looks at the Chinese Communist Party — told NewsNation there was a “non-trivial” chance China would participate.

“It’s certainly a possibility, and the likelihood that they will then be able to access the data that these drones collect is very high,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House have insisted that there is no foreign source for these parts.

Van Drew and other lawmakers have backed away from that denial.

“Here’s the deal: They don’t know what it is. They don’t know what it’s about,” Van Drew told Fox News. “They have no idea where it comes from, but they know what it’s not about? That’s nonsense.”

In a separate incident across the country, a Northern California man was charged on December 11 with flying a drone and taking photos of Space Force Base Vandenberg, located near Santa Barbara.

The incident allegedly occurred on November 30, according to prosecutors.

The man, 39-year-old Chinese national Yinbiao Zhou, was arrested before boarding a plane bound for China. He appeared in court on Tuesday, but no confession was accepted.

There was no indication that the incident was related to the wave of reports of drone sightings on the East Coast.

Several lawmakers suggested that the drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intentions.

These include President-elect Donald Trump, who took to his social media platform Truth to point out that drones cannot fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the public know, now,” he wrote. “Otherwise, shoot them down.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also imposed temporary flight restrictions prohibiting drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who conduct unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 (£59,000) and the cancellation of their drone pilot certificates.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden published on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged federal agencies to “work together” to solve the puzzle, as well as pushing Congress to expand counter-drone capabilities to include local law enforcement.

Some residents suggested they might take action against the drones themselves, something authorities have strongly warned against doing because it is illegal.

“A good gun will solve this problem,” one man commented on a drone video on social media.