US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has assured the public that federal investigators have found no evidence of foreign involvement in the numerous drone sightings reported in the northeastern United States. Despite this reassurance, the absence of detailed information has caused public concern to escalate over the weekend.
“I want to assure the American public that we are on it,” Mayorkas stated.
Mayorkas urged for expanded authority to target drones, advocating for measures that would allow officials to neutralize drones beyond restricted military zones. Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed on Sunday that federal authorities are ready to deploy advanced drone detection systems in response to increased reports of sightings in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Local leaders have echoed these concerns, with one official describing the drones as “a very considerable danger.”
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer added his voice to the calls for enhanced detection capabilities, while Florida congressman Mike Waltz, the incoming White House national security adviser, pointed out deficiencies in coordination between federal agencies and local law enforcement.
“Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from,” Waltz said during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation. “From the defense department standpoint, they’re focused on bombers and cruise missiles. It’s pointing to gaps in our capabilities and in our ability to clamp down on what’s going on here.”
Speculation about an Iranian drone ship off the east coast was dismissed as baseless.
In an interview with ABC News, Mayorkas highlighted the widespread use of drones, noting that “thousands of drones [are] flown every day in the United States, recreational drones, commercial drones.” He also mentioned that new aviation regulations introduced in September 2023 now permit drones to operate at night, contributing to the increased sightings.
Officials are wary of civilians taking matters into their own hands in response to the drone incidents in New Jersey, fearing accidents or mistaken targeting of legitimate aircraft.
“We want state and local authorities to also have the ability to counter drone activity under federal supervision,” Mayorkas explained.
To address public unease, Mayorkas clarified that some sightings were indeed drones, while others were misidentified aircraft.
“There’s no question … people are seeing drones,” he acknowledged. “And I want to assure the American public that we, in the federal government, have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology, to assist … in addressing the drone sightings.”
On December 9, a Chinese national was arrested in California for allegedly flying a drone over Vandenberg Air Force Base, a key site for missile testing and space launches. Other military installations have also reported unauthorized drone activity.
“If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly,” Mayorkas said.
As Donald Trump prepares to begin his second presidency, he has called for greater transparency regarding what he has termed “mystery drone sightings all over the country.”
“Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so,” Trump said. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.”
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dismissed the notion that the drone reports reflected collective hysteria among residents.
“To say that this is not unusual activity is just wrong,” Christie said. “I’ve lived in New Jersey my whole life and this is the first time I’ve noticed drones over my house.”
Christie criticized the lack of information from authorities, which he said had left space for conspiracy theories to flourish.
“If you don’t fill that vacuum then all the conspiracy theories get filled in there,” he said. “So you get congressman Jeff Van Drew saying there’s an Iranian mothership off the coast which is provably not true.”
Christie added that both the outgoing Biden administration and state officials needed to communicate more clearly to reassure the public. He noted that concerns were valid given the potential for drones to be weaponized, as seen in combat zones.
Hochul joined other officials on Saturday in urging the White House to respond after drone activity temporarily shut down runways at Stewart International Airport. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also contacted President Biden to express “growing concern about reports of unmanned aircraft systems.” In Connecticut, where drone sightings have risen since mid-November, Senator Richard Blumenthal advocated for shooting down drones “if necessary.”
Frustration over the official response has driven some residents to seek answers independently.
Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute at Rider University, described the government’s handling of the situation as “a textbook case of exactly how misinformation happens and disinformation happens.”
“When people don’t know what to believe, they don’t believe anything,” Rasmussen said. “And that’s a dangerous position for us to be in.”
Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia of New Jersey criticized the federal response, saying it had managed to unify Republicans and Democrats in outrage.
“I don’t know who’s running crisis communication from the White House, but it’s embarrassing,” Fantasia said. “You know, we’re at the point now where I feel like I’m watching Star Search from the ‘80s, and they’re just auditioning spokesmodels to say stupid things.”
Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey echoed concerns, noting that the reports of drones operating in federally controlled airspace “leave a large vacuum of information.”
Since November 13, when a drone was spotted near Picatinny Arsenal, a military research facility in New Jersey, hundreds of similar sightings have been reported. Descriptions include clusters of drones and some as large as SUVs. Officials maintain that these do not pose a security threat, but military personnel have confirmed sightings at multiple installations, including a naval weapons station.
These events follow the Biden administration’s attempt to downplay the significance of a Chinese spy balloon that crossed the US in early 2023, later shot down off the east coast.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said, “It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.”
However, residents remain unconvinced.
“You only get so many chances to explain something before people say, ‘I’ve heard enough from you. I don’t believe what you have to say,’” Rasmussen said. “‘I’m done listening to you now, because clearly you’re going to insult my intelligence.’”
{Matzav.com}