One of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department's drones, flown by Officer Kevin Mason flies in Seaside Heights December 12, 2024. The department was on alert for unidentified drones flying in the area.
© Thomas P. Costello / Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Trenton, NJ) — New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is taking his concerns to the White House following the recent reported unmanned aircraft sightings across his state. Governor Murphy says he’s written a letter to President Biden noting that since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter unmanned aircraft systems, more federal resources are needed to understand what’s behind the activity.
Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, New Jersey said it’s “aware” of recent drone sightings and confirmed there have been “multiple instances” of drones entering the airspace above it. On Thursday, the White House said it currently doesn’t believe the reported drones pose any serious threat. There have also been sightings of unidentified drones and mysterious lights in other states including Connecticut, California and Oregon. In New York, there have been sightings at LaGuardia Airport, in the Bronx and Staten Island.
California Democrat Lou Correa watched drones hover in his backyard. New video, which was taken by residents of San Diego and Riverside Counties, reportedly show the floating lights.
A Massachusetts resident caught drones over Easthampton on video last night. Channel 22 reported the person said the drones flew around for hours. Since earlier this month, drones have been spotted over sensitive areas like military bases and airports in New Jersey. The closest military installation to Easthampton is Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield. Other sightings of drones and mysterious lights have been reported in Connecticut, California and Oregon.
The head of Homeland Security says his agency knows of no threat with regard to the dozens of drone sightings across the Northeast. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said they’ve not seen anything unusual or any nefarious activity. He says many of the reported drone sightings are actually small aircraft and it’s a case of mistaken identity. Mayorkas says state-of-the-art technology has been deployed and it hasn’t confirmed any drone sightings. Responding to President-elect Trump’s suggestion the drones should be shot out of the sky, Mayorkas said they have limited authority to do so and have gone to Congress to expand those authorities.
