Drone sightings spread across New Jersey as officials express outrage at federal response

The hundreds of mysterious New Jersey drone sightings are sparking growing calls for a more forceful federal response, calls that come as even more sightings are reported in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

“What is happening is scandalous. Thousands of drones and unmanned aerial systems fly above us and our government does not tell us who operates them and for what purpose,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, RN.Y., at a news conference in Staten Island on Friday.

“I don’t think the United States, with its military capabilities, knows what these objects are. And what I’m asking, and what we’re all asking, is that you be honest with us and just tell us, what’s going on,” Malliotakis said.

Despite growing concerns from a growing chorus of elected officials, the White House said yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies “have been unable to confirm any of the reported visual sightings. ”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a post on X Friday that while she knows New Yorkers have seen drones this week, “at this time there is no evidence that these drones pose a threat to public safety or national security.”

The statements come as dozens of on-camera sightings have been caught in New Jersey and as security and privacy concerns continue to grow. The observations – which occur up to 180 times per night, according to several New Jersey officials — began nearly a month ago.

‘The answer is completely unacceptable’

Former Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan said in a post X Friday that he personally witnessed “dozens of large drones” over his home, adding that “neither the White House, the military, the FBI, nor Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who launched or controls them – and that they pose no threat.”

“That response is completely unacceptable,” Hogan wrote. “I join the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this problem. The American people deserve answers and action now.”

Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote letters to President Joe Biden, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, Reps. Mike Johnson and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and called on Congress to take action.

Murphy said he wants to “encourage Congress to pass legislation authorizing state and local law enforcement agencies to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS.”

Late. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wrote his own letter to DHS, the FBI, the FAA and the Defense Department on Friday, requesting a briefing on drone activity by Dec. 18.

“I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the increased reporting of drone activity in the airspace near New England. As you know, these states are home to some of the busiest and most complex airspace in the country,” Blumenthal wrote.

Calling for flight restrictions, no-fly zones

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella and Malliotakis said they reached out to the FAA last week after the first reported sighting on Staten Island.

Malliotakis said that when she called on the FAA to impose flight restrictions, she “got a cookie cutter response,” adding that she was “not happy about it.”

“The people of this city and state and region deserve answers to what the heck is going on,” Fossella said Friday.

Malliotakis added that she is concerned that drones were seen overhead at a Coast Guard base on Staten Island, adding to reports of drone activity over military bases in New Jersey.

A spokesman for Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, New Jersey, said in a statement Friday that they were “aware of recent reports of drone sightings across New Jersey” and were coordinating with federal and state agencies.

“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm several instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace over Naval Weapons Station Earle,” the statement said.

Montvale, New Jersey Mayor Michael Ghassali said Friday that the reaction to the sightings is “now becoming a complete joke,” in a post on his Facebook account.

Ghassali said he is issuing an emergency declaration for Montvale for a no-fly zone for drones because of a lack of federal response in the city.

“The feds can’t control the airspace, and yesterday my phone wouldn’t stop drone sightings,” he said.

‘Hobbyists’ or ‘weapons of war’?

Late. Andy Kim, D-NJ, co-authored a letter Thursday with Sens. Gillibrand, Schumer and Booker to the DHS, FBI and FAA, in which he called on the agencies to hold a briefing on how they are responding to the drones. He posted a thread X Friday describes drones he witnessed in New Jersey.

Kim said police officers told him they see drones every night, but that when they approach with helicopters, “the drones would turn off the lights and go dark if they approached.”

“The Homeland Security Secretary briefed last week on new technology they were deploying, but we need details on what those efforts have yielded and whether more resources are needed,” Kim wrote. “If they haven’t fully identified the devices yet, we should still know what’s being done.”

Gillibrand said in an interview with MSNBC on Thursday that officials need to ask “very serious questions” about the design and intended function of the devices. The commercial drones are much larger and more sophisticated than “hobbyist” drones, raising concerns about unknown capabilities.

“We shouldn’t look at these the way we would look at a kite or a balloon,” Gillibrand said. “These are drones, unmanned aerial systems that have been used as weapons of war around the globe.”