The hundreds of mysterious New Jersey drone sightings are sparking mounting demands for a more forceful federal response, calls that come as even more sightings are being reported in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“What is happening is outrageous. Thousands of drones and unmanned aerial systems flying above us, and our government is not telling us who’s operating them and for what purpose,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said a press conference in Staten Island on Friday.
“I don’t believe that the United States of America, with its military capabilities, does not know what these objects are. And what I’m asking, and what we’re all asking, is for you to be straight with us and just tell us what is going on,” Malliotakis said.
Despite mounting concerns from a growing bipartisan chorus of elected officials, the White House said yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies “have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.”
In a statement to NBC News, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed it “does not currently have any unmanned aerial systems operating in or around New Jersey or New York.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post on X Friday that while she knows New Yorkers have spotted drones this week, “at this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat.”
The statements come as dozens of on-camera sightings have been captured in New Jersey and as concerns for safety and privacy continue to grow. Overnight, 79 sightings were reported across New Jersey alone, a senior official briefed on the drone sightings told NBC News.
The sightings — which occur up to 180 times per night, according to several New Jersey officials — have remained consistent for nearly a month.
‘Response is entirely unacceptable’
Former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a post on X Friday that he personally witnessed “dozens of large drones” above his home, adding that “neither the White House, the military, the FBI, or Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who has launched or is controlling them–and that they pose no threat.”
“That response is entirely unacceptable,” Hogan wrote. “I join with the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue. The American people deserve answers and action now.”
In a statement to NBC News, “The U.S. Secret Service does not currently have any unmanned aerial systems operating in or around New Jersey or New York.”
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wrote letters to President Joe Biden, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, Rep. Mike Johnson and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries urging Congress to take action.
Murphy said he wants to “encourage Congress to pass legislation empowering state and local law enforcement entities to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wrote his own letter to DHS, FBI, FAA and the Department of Defense on Friday, requesting a briefing on drone activity no later than Dec. 18.
“I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the increased reporting of drone activity in the airspace near New England. As you are aware, these states are home to some of the busiest and most complex airspaces in the country,” Blumenthal wrote.
Calls for flight restrictions, no-fly zones
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella and Malliotakis said that they reached out to the FAA last week after the first reported sighting on Staten Island.
Malliotakis said that when she urged the FAA to impose flight restrictions, she “got a cookie cutter response,” adding that she was “not happy about it.”
“The people of this city and state and region deserve answers of what the heck is going on,” Fossella said Friday.
Malliotakis added that she’s concerned that drones were spotted overhead at a Coast Guard base on Staten Island, adding to reports of drone activity over military bases in New Jersey.
An ongoing investigation leads officials to believe previously reported New Jersey sightings over the Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster were indeed drones, a senior official briefed on the drone sightings told NBC News.
A spokesperson from the Naval Weapons Station Earle, in Colts Neck, New Jersey, said in a statement Friday that they were “aware of the recent reports of drone sightings across New Jersey” and coordinating with federal and state agencies.
“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm several instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle,” the statement said.
Montvale, New Jersey Mayor Michael Ghassali said Friday that the response to the sightings is “now becoming a complete joke,” in a post on his Facebook account.
Ghassali said that he is issuing an emergency declaration for Montvale for a no fly zone for drones due to a lack of federal response in the town.
“The feds can’t control the air space, and yesterday my phone didn’t stop with drone sightings messages,” he said.
‘Hobbyists’ or ‘weapons of war’?
Sen. Andy Kim, D-NJ, wrote a letter Thursday alongside Sens. Gillibrand, Schumer and Booker to DHS, FBI and FAA urging the agencies to hold a briefing on how they are responding to the drones. He posted a thread on X Friday describing drones he witnessed in New Jersey.
Kim said that police officers told him they see drones every night, but that when they approach with helicopters, “the drones would turn off the lights and go dark if approached.”
“Homeland Security Secretary briefed last week on new technology they were deploying but we need details on what those efforts have yielded and if more resources are needed,” Kim wrote. “If they haven’t fully identified the devices yet we still should know what is being done.”
Gillibrand said in an interview with MSNBC Thursday that officials need to be asking “very serious questions” about the design and intended function of the devices. The commercial-grade drones are much larger and more sophisticated than “hobbyist” ones, raising concerns over unknown capabilities.
“We should not be looking at these in the way we would look at a kite or a balloon,” Gillibrand said. “These are drones, unmanned aerial systems that have been used as weapons of war around the globe.”
