Drones latest: Mysterious flying objects reported in New Jersey and nearby states as federal officials investigate
The FBI and DHS are investigating after recent reports of mysterious drones from residents across several states
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Your support makes all the difference.A series of apparent mystery drones have been spotted in several states over the last month, prompting concern from residents and government officials alike.
These drones have been spotted in California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia over the last month. At least one airport was shut down late last week due to reported drone activity.
Now, federal officials are investigating and emphasizing there is no apparent security concern.
“We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter, the Department of Homeland Security, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the lead,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Sunday.
The House Intelligence Committee is set to receive a briefing on the drones this week. Democratic Representative Jim Himes, a member of the committee, told Fox News he’s frustrated with the current lack of information.
“There are a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” Himes said. “The answer ‘we don’t know’ is not a good enough answer when people are anxious, when they are nervous, and this has been true since we’ve been a species on this planet.”
“It is not the Iranians, it is not the Chinese. They aren’t Martians,” he added.
Mapped: All the locations of mass drone sightings in the last week
Residents of New Jersey were confused and worried when a group of mysterious drones began to be seen flying in the skies above the state starting late last month. Now residents in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, California and other states are experiencing the same thing.
See maps of the latest spottings here:
Mapped: All the locations of mass drone sightings in the last week
Officials have no explanation for where the drones are coming from or what their purpose is
A government psyop and a foreign military threat: Conspiracies fly about origins of drones over the US
The drone sightings over New Jersey have prompted a litany of conspiracy theories to fly across the internet - including a government psychological operation to aliens to a foreign military threat.
Right-wing commentators are spreading the theories as sightings continue to be reported across the East Coast. The Federal Aviation Administration has said that the first sighting took place on November 18 close to Morris County, New Jersey, with sightings subsequently being reported in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said in a joint statement Thursday that there’s “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
A government psyop and a foreign military threat: The conspiracies behind the drones
‘Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,’ homeland security secretary says
Pentagon experts shut down theory that drones are from Iranian ‘mothership’: ‘Not any truth to that’
Pentagon officials shut down Representative Jeff Van Drew’s theory that the mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey and several other states are from a “mothership” sent from “Iran.”
“There is not any truth to that,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said last week of the Republican’s claims.
“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States,” Singh added.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, confirmed the drones are not Iranian on Sunday.
“It is not the Iranians, it is not the Chinese,” he said. “They aren’t Martians.”
Trump called out for ‘fat-shaming’ Chris Christie with AI image of him eating McDonald’s surrounded by drones
Donald Trump is facing backlash for trolling Chris Christie with a bizarre AI-generated image showing the former New Jersey governor eating McDonald’s while surrounded by drones.
Mysterious lights have been spotted in the skies above New Jersey and New York in recent weeks, fueling speculation about the origins and causing federal officials to admit they don’t know who or what is behind them. Between November 19 and December 13 alone, almost 1,000 drone sightings have been recorded in the Garden State, the Office of Emergency Management confirmed to the New York Post.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday there is “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
Read more:
Trump called out for AI image of Christie eating McDonald’s surrounded by drones
Mysterious lights have been spotted in the skies above New Jersey and New York in recent weeks
Arrests made in connection with drone activity
Police have made arrests connected to drone activity in San Francisco and Boston over the last week.
Officials arrested Yinpiao Zhou on December 9 at the San Francisco International Airport after they claimed he flew a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base while taking photos of the area.
“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base’s layout, which is against the law,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.”
Then, on Saturday night Boston police arrested Robert Duffy and Jeremy Folcik for flying drones “dangerously close” to Logan International Airport. Investigators are searching for a third suspect they believe fled the scene, according to a statement from the Boston Police Department.
Many drone spottings could be cases of ‘mistaken identity,’ officials say
Some of the drone spottings across several states in the US could be cases of “mistaken identity,” with residents unknowingly reporting legally-operated small aircraft, DHS and FBI officials have said.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also said some drones could be commercial.
The FBI has received some 5,000 tips regarding drone activity, but fewer than 100 were “deemed worthy of further investigative activity.” an agency spokesperson said over the weekend.
Watch: DHS Secretary Mayorkas addresses drone sightings over New Jersey
Minnesota Senator calls for greater transparency from feds over drone sightings
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar called for increased transparency from federal officials on the mystery drone sightings across several states.
“One, we need a briefing for the members of the Senate to figure out what’s going on here,” Klobuchar told CBS News. “Two, we need more transparency.”
Members of the lower Congressional chamber are reportedly frustrated, too.
Democratic Representative Jim Himes, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News lawmakers are calling for more information.
“There are a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” Himes said. “The answer ‘we don’t know’ is not a good enough answer when people are anxious, when they are nervous, and this has been true since we’ve been a species on this planet.”
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