The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a warning to residents of New Jersey, advising against shooting at mysterious drones or aiming lasers at aircraft with crew members on board.
A joint statement posted on X by the FBI Newark Field Office and the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) revealed that there has been an increase in incidents of lasers being aimed at pilots, blinding them temporarily.
This warning comes amidst a surge in reports from residents in states like New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland who claim to have seen unidentified, mysterious drones flying in the sky. The drones have also been spotted over the Picatinny Arsenal military base and at President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
“FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police want to warn the public about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS but could be a manned aircraft,” the statement read.
The FBI Newark Field Office and NJSP added, “FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking.” The statement also warned, “However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS.”
The statement follows comments made by Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) on Monday, when he announced that over the weekend he had received “three sophisticated systems from the federal government” to assist with “monitoring the skies and identifying unmanned aircraft,” according to 6ABC News.
In light of the ongoing reports of mysterious drone sightings, several New Jersey lawmakers, including State Senator Jon Bramnick (R) and Representative Thomas Kean Jr. (R-NJ), have urged the government to take action.
Representative Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) also suggested that “Iran was responsible for the number of drone sightings” along the East Coast and mentioned a “mothership” involved. However, the Pentagon refuted his claim that a “mothership” was stationed off the coast of the U.S.
Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for the Department of Homeland Security to “deploy special detection systems” to help identify the reported drone sightings.
{Matzav.com}