Residents of New Jersey have expressed their concerns over recent and mysterious drone sightings throughout the state, specifically in well-populated areas. They feel their privacy and security are at risk and uneasy. The ongoing sightings have left residents confused and calling on lawmakers for answers and the truth.
The first sighting appeared in Northern New Jersey on November 18, 2024. Since then, they have been actively popping up throughout the state. The drones appear to show up in the late hours of the night, although it is unclear if they are present every night. They have been described as being unusually large. Some reports compare their size to that of a small car— around 8 to 10 feet. The drones have been seen in groups with lights mostly always on; however, the lights on the drones are turned off when law enforcement helicopters approach them. According to a senior official who briefed NBC, there have been few drone sightings during the day, but there have been reports at night except on Thanksgiving.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby assured people that drone sightings are lawfully operated manned aircraft and pose no security or public safety threat. However, Kirby's answer did not satisfy those who reside in the Garden State as they have threatened to take matters into their own hands and shoot down the drones. Phil Murphy, the Governor of New Jersey, even asked President Biden to get to the bottom of these numerous drone sightings. Governor Murphy also noted that the federal government limits what state and local law enforcement can do to counter the drones. Still, the federal government has the full authority to shoot down the drones.
There have been mentions on X of New Jersey police attempting to shoot the drones down. Posts on X suggest that the state police chased a drone down but ended the chase due to safety concerns. At this time, there are no official news reports or statements that can confirm or deny that this incident took place. These posts on X reflect the public's sentiment, and no specific locations have been provided.
President-Elect Trump took to Truth Social and joined in on the mysterious drone sighting conversation. He strongly encouraged the drones to be shot down.
Drones have also been reported and spotted at Trump's golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, raising concerns for the president-elect's safety and security. Shortly after the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions over Trump's golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. The restrictions remained in place until December 26, 2024.
Rich McHugh of NewsNation spoke with an Ocean County sheriff who said that one of his officers spotted 50 drones coming off the ocean. The officer who witnessed this incident then called 911 and reported what he saw, alerting the state police, the FBI, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
There have also been numerous news reports of these mysterious drones flying over water treatment facilities, specifically in New Jersey, where they were reported near the Round Valley Reservoir—the state's largest aquifer. Police have also mentioned sightings over other water treatment facilities and, alarmingly, over military bases. One specifically occurred at the Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton, New Jersey, which suggests concerns over potential surveillance or interference with operations in New Jersey. Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II, a base commander at the New Jersey military research center, told a local media outlet that the drones flying over the area are not theirs. Bonham stated:
"While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities."
The local media outlet also reported that the Picatinny Arsenal had recorded 11 confirmed sightings of the mysterious drones since November 13, 2024, before the first sighting appeared on November 18.
The drones were first spotted in New Jersey, but recently, there have been possible sightings in Maryland, New York, and Florida. Former Republican Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan has openly stated that on Thursday, December 12, 2024, he witnessed dozens of drones flying over his home in Maryland, which is located just 25 miles from the U.S. capital. The day after the sighting, the governor released this statement on X:
"Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland; I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes."
On Sunday, December 15, 2024, it was finally announced that federal officials were preparing to deploy a high-tech Drone detection system. According to the New York Post, New York Kathy Hochul then released this statement.
"We are grateful to the Biden Administration for their support, but ultimately, we need further assistance from Congress. Passing the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act will give New York and our peers the authority and resources required to respond to circumstances like we face today."
The announcement comes just a day after former CIA Operations Officer Laura Ballman went on Fox News and expressed her concern over these mysterious drones. When speaking with Fox News, Ballman theorized that she believed this was a classified exercise conducted by the Biden Administration. However, The Biden Administration has maintained the same position on these drones by telling the public that the drones seen are piloted aircraft; although they cannot explain where they are coming from, they assured the public that they are not a threat from a foreign nation. The administration has been accused of deception since they have not provided the public with solid answers.
Following the announcement of the drone detection system, President-Elect Donald Trump gave a Press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, December 16, 2024. When asked about these mysterious drones, Trump responded, "The government knows exactly what's going on; they should tell the public."
Trump claimed that our officials are reluctant to comment on the drones. He also revealed that he is avoiding his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, due to his concerns over the recent sightings. Throughout the press conference, when questioned on the drones, Trump was insistent that the current government is aware of the events happening and that they, as well as our military, know where the drones came from and where they went.
As of Saturday, December 28, 2024, it was reported by The New York Post that drone sightings, as well as activity in New Jersey, had mysteriously died down. According to Ocean County officials, the number of reported sightings dropped tremendously during the holiday weeks. While numbers were not released, Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy confirmed that the sheriff's department received fewer call-ins regarding the mysterious drones. Mastronardy also confirmed that on December 8-9, 2024, more sightings were reported than on any other day since the first sightings in November and then began to decrease when the FAA imposed air restrictions in New Jersey and New York this month.
However, some sightings continue as concerned citizens of New Jersey take to social media to post images and videos of the alleged drone activity in the night sky. The FBI has stated that 5,000 reports have been received regarding the drones, with only about 100 reports deemed credible. The FBI and officials still maintain that the mysterious drones pose no threats to U.S. national security or public safety.
