What we know about the mysterious drones buzzing over New Jersey

Mystery continues to swirl after nearly a month of drone sightings over New Jersey, sparking fear among residents and furious debate about what the flying objects are — and whether they are drones at all.

US authorities have not been able to provide definitive answers, saying only that the items are not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available images indicated that many of the reported drone sightings were actually manned aircraft.

But some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of the drones and the lack of information available to the public.

Here’s what we know.

Dozens of drone sightings have been reported over New Jersey since Nov. 18, according to local authorities.

The drones were initially spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that feeds into the Round Valley Reservoir — the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

The sightings quickly spread to other parts of the state, including the New Jersey coast.

Some of the flights were seen near the Picatinny Arsenal – a sensitive military research facility – as well as near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in the town of Bedminster, New Jersey.

In nearby New York City, several drones were reported flying over the Bronx on December 12, a police official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

Officers responding to the incident saw the drones flying overhead, but they disappeared shortly after.

Drones have also been reported in other parts of the state, according to New York State Police.

Police in Connecticut have also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” has occurred in various parts of the state. A drone detection system has been deployed around the towns of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican governor Larry Hogan claimed he saw what appeared to be “dozens” of drones over his residence in Davidsonville, about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington DC.

“Like many who have observed these drones, I don’t know if this increasing activity in our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” he wrote on X. “However, the public is becoming increasingly concerned and frustrated by the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”

In late November, the US Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones were seen over three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

British defense sources told the BBC that suspicion had fallen on a “state actor” responsible for the intrusion.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones were seen for 17 days near US military facilities in Virginia.

In a call with reporters, officials from several US agencies tried to reassure people that the drones were not the work of a foreign actor or a national security threat.

“I think there’s been a little bit of an overreaction,” an FBI official said.

While downplaying public concern, authorities were keen to reiterate that investigations into the drone sightings were still ongoing.

“We certainly understand why people are concerned. That’s one of the reasons we’re devoting significant resources,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.

“At the same time, it is important to understand that we have no current evidence that there is a threat to public safety,” DHS added.

Both federal and state authorities have said they do not believe the drones are dangerous or pose a threat to US national security.

After a Dec. 11 briefing with the Department of Homeland Security, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said the drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio.

Fantasia said the drones are up to 1.8m in diameter, travel with the lights off and “operate in a coordinated manner”.

Her comments stand in stark contrast to the White House, which has suggested they are “manned aircraft”.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also said the majority of sightings appear to be legal, manned flights.

None have been reported in restricted airspace, the statement added.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement Friday saying more and more people are using drones, which means more people are noticing them in the sky.

It added that while drones can be flown in most places below 400 ft (121 m), drones cannot be flown within controlled airspace around an airport without FAA permission; over designated national security sensitive facilities; in certain military bases, infrastructure and national landmarks; and in airspace subject to temporary flight restrictions.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones – which is currently unconfirmed – it is unclear who might be operating them.

Citing anonymous “senior sources,” New Jersey Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew said they came from an Iranian “mother ship” in the Atlantic.

The Pentagon quickly dismissed the comment, saying “there is no truth to it”.

“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there is no so-called mother ship firing drones at the United States,” deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi – who is on a congressional committee looking into China’s Communist Party – told NewsNation there is a “non-trivial” chance China could be involved.

“It’s certainly a possibility, and the likelihood that they could then access data collected by these drones is very high,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House have both insisted that there is no foreign origin for the objects.

Van Drew and other lawmakers have pushed back on those denials.

“Here’s the deal: they don’t know what it is. They don’t know what it’s about,” Van Drew told Fox News. “They have no idea where it’s coming from, but they know what it’s not about? It’s bullshit.”

In a separate incident across the country, a Northern California man was charged Dec. 11 with flying a drone over and taking pictures of Vandenberg Space Force Base, located near Santa Barbara.

The incident is said to have taken place on November 30, according to prosecutors.

The man, 39-year-old Chinese national Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested just before he boarded a flight to China. He appeared in court on Tuesday and no plea was entered.

There has been no suggestion that the incident is related to the spate of reported drone sightings on the East Coast.

Several lawmakers have proposed that the drones be shot down and analyzed to determine their origins and intentions.

Among them is President-elect Donald Trump, who took to his Truth Social media platform to suggest that drones could not fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the public know, and now,” he wrote. “Otherwise shoot them down”.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also established temporary flight restrictions banning drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who conduct unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 (£59,000) and have their drone pilot licenses revoked.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden published on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery, as well as push Congress to expand counter-drone capabilities for local law enforcement.

Some residents have suggested that they can take action against the drones themselves – something the authorities have strongly warned against doing, as it is illegal.

“A good shotgun will solve that problem,” one man commented on a video of a drone on social media.