In recent months, dozens of mysterious drones were reportedly spotted flying over various areas in New Jersey. The drones were described as up to 6ft and often had the lights off, sparking national safety concerns.
On Thursday, US Senator Richard Blumenthal appeared concerned about the mysterious drones as people began witnessing them across Capitol Hill. Blumenthal mentioned the authorities would take appropriate measures, stating:
"We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they're flying over airports or military bases."
Have drones been spotted anywhere else?
A number of mysterious drones began appearing in New Jersey over the fall. At first, they were spotted across the Raritan River, then near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research center. The drones were also spotted over Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster.
On Thursday, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, stated that the mysterious drones do not pose any public or national security threat:
"We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," Kirby stated.
The drones appeared to be larger than commercial drones and avoided traditional detection by helicopter and radio.
With the number of drone sightings increasing over the last month, authorities have ordered an investigation into the mysterious drones and their purpose for flying in restricted areas. The FBI, Homeland Security, and State Police are currently investigating this case. They are yet to confirm whether it was one drone being spotted several times or if there were multiple.
People across New York, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia also reported witnessing drones in some parts of the states. However, the statement released by the United States Department of Defense confirmed that these drones were not U.S. military drones and that they do not pose a foreign threat as well.
On Tuesday, New Jersey and New York Senators issued a joint letter urging government agencies to provide a detailed briefing on the drone sighting:
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"We write out of urgent concern regarding the unnamed aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days. Due to the ongoing nature of these drone incidents, we request that the Department of Homeland Safety (DHS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) brief us as soon as possible on how your agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify and address the source of these incursions," the letter reads.
Addressing this drone incident, many municipal lawmakers proposed restrictions on the ownership of drones.
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