For weeks, people in New Jersey and nearby states have been reporting clusters of drone-like objects flying across the night sky. But so far, U.S. national security officials haven’t been able to identify who’s behind them or where they’re coming from, leading to more confusion and concerns.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Sunday that he knows of “no foreign involvement,” but officials remain “vigilant in investigating this matter.”
“I want to assure the American public that we are on it,” he added.
Still, state and local leaders have accused the Biden administration of not taking the sightings seriously enough. On Sunday, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer called on Mayorkas to “deploy special drone-detection” technology following his remarks.
Amid all of these questions, here’s a breakdown of what we know so far.
What’s happening with the drones over New Jersey?
The drones were first reported on Nov. 18 in New Jersey. Some flights were near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster and the military research facility Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County. The Federal Aviation Authority has since implemented temporary flight restrictions over both of these more sensitive sites.
Despite federal assurances, local officials have continued to press for more information and action. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Biden asking him to direct more federal resources for an investigation, while GOP Rep. Chris Smith called on the military to shoot down the drones, despite concerns that falling debris could endanger highly populated areas.
Others are taking it upon themselves to get more answers: Senator Andy Kim spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey. But upon further review with the help of civilian pilots, he concluded that most of the possible drone sightings “were almost certainly planes.”
In the meantime, local officials are taking no risks regarding safety. Belleville, New Jersey, Mayor Michael Melham told Fox News that the state’s Office of Emergency Management urged him to “immediately call the bomb squad” if there is a downed drone nearby. “We just don’t know what these things are, so we are being cautious,” Melham said.
Where else have the drones been spotted?
On December 13 and 14, drone activity forced officials to close airspace over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, while the situation was monitored.
“To date, installation leadership has determined none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets,” Bob Purtiman, chief of public affairs for the 88th Air Base Wing, told CNN affiliate WHIO.
On December 13, two men were arrested for trespassing after a drone came “dangerously close” to Logan International Airport in Boston.
Several of these bright objects were reported flying over the Bronx in nearby New York on December 12, but they vanished before officials could respond to the incident.
Drone activity even temporarily closed a runway at New York’s Stewart International Airport on December 13. “This has gone too far,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in response, according to a statement released on Saturday. The next day, she wrote on X that federal officials “are sending a drone detection system to New York” but “we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones.”
Police in Connecticut have also confirmed “suspicious drone activity,” and they’ve deployed a drone detection system around the towns of Groton and New London.
In Maryland, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan claimed he saw what appeared to be “dozens” of drones over his residence in Davidsonville, which is less than 30 minutes from Washington, D.C. However, community notes added to the post appear to dispute his claims, and some of the “drones” he saw might actually be stars.
There have been other reports of these flying objects in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Delaware.
What have authorities said about the drone sightings?
The FBI, the lead agency investigating the matter, has said the drones don’t appear to pose a national security or safety threat but offered little information otherwise. Out of 5,000 tips in recent weeks, only 100 were deemed worthy of further investigation, an unnamed FBI official told The New York Times.
On the other hand, an unnamed official with the Department of Defense was less confident about the nature of the sightings. “We don’t know if it’s malicious, if it is criminal,” the official told CNN. “But I will tell you that it is — it is irresponsible.”
Trump also weighed in, suggesting that the government was concealing information about the sightings, and this gap in information has led to the reemergence of some bizarre conspiracies. Namely, this includes “Project Blue Beam,” which alleges that global elites are planning to fake an alien invasion to establish a totalitarian world. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones posted about it just last week, sharing a previous interview with ufologist Steven Greer about “how Project Blue Beam will be used.”
Amid growing frustration over a lack of answers, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, fellow New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim sent a letter to the FBI among other agencies requesting a briefing “as soon as possible.”
“Protecting civilian infrastructure, safety, and privacy as well as military assets and personnel will require a comprehensive response from Congress and the executive branch,” they wrote.
