Something very strange is happening in the skies over New Jersey, leaving everyone — from residents to police to the FBI — puzzled over what they’re witnessing.
A state lawmaker who was briefed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Wednesday, confirmed reports of large mysterious drones flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks, but said they appear to avoid traditional methods of detection, like radio and helicopter.
The sightings of the drones began rolling in on Nov.18, according to New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, and have been spotted almost every night, with anywhere from four to 180 sighting reports per night.
In a lengthy post to X, Fantasia described the drones as up to six feet in diameter and sometimes travelling with their lights switched off.
The Morris County Republican was among several state and local lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the spate of sightings that range from the New York City area through New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia.
The devices do not appear to be being flown by hobbyists, Fantasia wrote, adding that most of the spotted drones appear to be larger than hobby drones.
Multiple drones are seen over Bernardsville, N.J., Dec. 5, 2024.
Brian Glenn/TMX via AP
“We know nothing. PERIOD,” Fantasia wrote, after briefing at the NJ State Police HQ on Wednesday. “To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment.”
Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to threaten public safety. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information they may have.
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In a posting on social media last week, Murphy said state officials were “actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners.”
In her post, Fantasia added that she believes “military intervention is the only path forward.”
The drones have been reported in the sky for up to seven hours, and have travelled distances of at least 24 km. Officials attempting to track them report that they immediately “go dark” when monitoring efforts are made.
The mysterious situation is baffling to residents and lawmakers alike, and has prompted heightened security concerns.
“I’m legitimately concerned for what the hell is going on because nobody knows,” state Assemblyman Brian Bergen told CNN affiliate News 12 New Jersey after Wednesday’s briefing.
“We are literally being invaded by drones. We have no idea who is doing it and where they’re coming from,” Pequannock Mayor Ryan Herb told the station.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican, shared an unfounded claim to Fox News that the drones were from “a mothership” from Iran that is “off the East Coast of the United States of America.”
FILE – In this image taken from video provided by MartyA45_, several drones appear to be flying over Randolph, N.J., on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
MartyA45_ / TMX via AP, File
But the Pentagon denied that claim, with deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh telling CNN that “there is not any truth to that.”
“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,” she said.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, acknowledged an encounter by one of its assets with the drones.
“Multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park,” Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
He said the drones did not interfere with operations and were not deemed an immediate threat.
Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over president-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.
Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where the drones have been reported, said he also attended Wednesday’s meeting at a state police facility in West Trenton. The session lasted for about 90 minutes.
Peterson said DHS officials were generous with their time, but appeared dismissive of some concerns, saying not all the sightings reported have been confirmed to involve drones.
So who or what is behind the flying objects? Where are they coming from? What are they doing? “My understanding is they have no clue,” Peterson told The Associated Press.
In October it emerged that military personnel witnessed a mysterious fleet of drones over a stretch of land at Langley Air Force Base along Virginia’s shore for 17 days straight late last year. The drones would appear in the sky about 45 minutes to an hour after sunset each night.
Former air force general Mark Kelly was first made aware of the drone sightings in December 2023, according to a report first detailed by the Wall Street Journal. They showed up for 17 consecutive days, with officials at the Pentagon suspecting they might have been deployed by Chinese or Russian agents to spy on the American military.
But because the drones did not pose an imminent threat, and officials at the time weren’t certain if they were being used for nefarious purposes or perhaps it was just wayward hobbyists, the military was prohibited from shooting them down, citing potential risks to troops and civilians.
The White House met with the Defense Department, the FBI and the Pentagon’s UFO office, as well as outside experts, to discuss what to do about the mystery formations, but several solutions, including shooting nets to catch the drones and using electronic signals to jam their navigation systems, also did not make the cut.
— With files from The Associated Press
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