Mystery Drones Are ‘a Very Considerable Danger,’ Congressman Warns
Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, warned on Saturday that the recent drone sightings over the Garden State are “a very considerable danger.”
The mystery drones have been spotted in recent weeks across New Jersey and neighboring states, prompting concern among residents and lawmakers and launching investigations by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. The FBI says that it has received over 5,000 tips related to the drone sightings, with most of the purported observations occurring at night. Of these tips, however, the FBI official said that “less than 100 leads have been generated and deemed worthy of further investigative activity.”
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a joint statement on Thursday that there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
Speaking at a news conference in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Saturday, Smith addressed the drone sightings, calling them “a very considerable danger” as he called on federal agencies to investigate more.
“This crisis really is the ultimate wake-up call to threats posed by potentially hostile drones…I’ve written Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to down one or more of these unmanned threats to uncover the mystery…This is not the time to trivialize or dismiss a threat,” the congressman said.
In addition, Smith said he’s working on legislation to give state and local authorities more power to track and potentially bring down aerial drones.
Newsweek has reached out to DHS and the Department of Defense via email for comment.
Representative Christopher Smith, a New Jersey Republican, is seen on November 8, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Smith warned on Saturday that the recent drone sightings over the Garden State are “a very considerable danger.”
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
This is not the first time lawmakers have called on federal agencies to investigate the issue.
In a letter to President Joe Biden requesting more federal resources to investigate the matter, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that since November 18 state police have been receiving reports of UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] sightings in New Jersey’s airspace. Murphy said in the letter dated Thursday that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas briefed his administration and the state’s congressional delegation “on actions the agency would take to learn more about the reported UAS activity.”
Mayorkas said on Friday during a CNN appearance that he has been in contact with Murphy every day and the DHS has its “state-of-the-art technology” and experts on the ground in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, in its most recent update officials stated on a press call on Saturday that no threats have yet been detected to national or public security, emphasizing that the investigation remains ongoing and that some questions remain unanswered.
“Obviously, we are taking this incredibly seriously,” one senior official of Biden’s administration told reporters during a press call on Saturday....
