FBI, Homeland Security Provide Update On Drones In NJ Skies

NEW JERSEY — Sophisticated drone-detecting equipment deployed in New Jersey turned up “little to no evidence” of any nefarious or threatening activity, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

Murphy told reporters in Trenton that suspected drone sightings have declined, with 12 sightings in the state on Saturday and one on Sunday. He spent part of the weekend with New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Newark office as they used three "very sophisticated systems" to look for aerial activity.

"There may be suspicious activity out there as we stand here today, but there is little to no evidence of that right now," he said.

Murphy declined to go into much detail about the detection equipment, but said it was powerful enough to disable the drones, although he added that is not legal on U.S. soil.

Murphy also urged people to "calm down" as he reiterated that officials see no evidence the public was at risk.

“We never say never, but … take a breath,” he said on Monday.

The Democrat echoed calls by other state and legislative officials for Congress to allow them to deal with drones, as nearly all the power now rests with the federal government.

“It is extraordinary to me that, that a nation as great as ours and as powerful as ours has the deficiencies that we have now seen in living color as it relates to drone incursions,” Murphy said.

Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have repeatedly said there are no signs that any drone operators have shown bad intent, nor is there evidence of foreign involvement. Mayorkas also said that some of the sightings are manned aircraft, but did not discount that some of the objects are drones, including ones flown by hobbyists or businesses.

The FBI, which is leading the probe, said it has received more than 5,000 tips since beginning its own investigation on Nov. 26 — 100 of which were credible leads.

In a joint statement with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the FBI said there has been nothing "anomalous" identified in New Jersey's skies.

"Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones," the federal agencies said Tuesday.

"That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement."

Increase in lasers pointed at pilots

The FBI's Newark office and New Jersey State Police are warning members of the public not to point lasers at any aircraft or try to shoot down suspected drones, after reporting an increase in the number of pilots who have been hit in the eyes with lasers.

"There could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS (unmanned aircraft systems)," the two agencies said in a statement.

One pilot at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was injured after being struck by a laser from the ground, according to an NJ.com report.

A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said there have been "multiple laser reports" from pilots in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania recently, declining to go into specifics.

"Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard and a violation of federal law," the spokesperson said.

Trump cancels Bedminster trip

President-elect Donald Trump said he will cancel a trip to his golf club in Somerset County amid the ongoing sightings, suggesting on Monday that “the government knows what is happening.”

“Our military knows and our president knows and for some reason they want to keep people in suspense,” Trump said. "I can't imagine it's the enemy because if it was the enemy they'd blast it out."

He refused to say whether he had been briefed on the drone sightings.

There are still flight restrictions over Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster and Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, after drone sightings were reported near both locations.

"They're very close to Bedminster," he said. "I think maybe I won't spend the weekend in Bedminster. I've decided to cancel my trip."

Since drone sightings in New Jersey began making the news in mid-November, residents in close to a dozen Eastern states have reported the aircraft buzzing overhead.

Over the past two days, New York and Pennsylvania officials have also requested drone-detecting equipment from federal officials.

Van Drew retracts 'Iran mothership' assertions

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-2) officially walked back his claims that Iran had a drone "mothership" sitting somewhere off the coast, sending the aircraft in to surveil sensitive sites.

“While it has been verified that Iran does have three drone ships, new satellite images show they are currently stationed off the southern coast of Iran,” he said in a statement Friday, while calling for more answers from authorities.

The South Jersey Congressman called for the drones to be shot down last week, saying they are a national security threat.

His statement Friday was welcomed by the National Iranian American Council, who had sent him a letter on Thursday asking him to retract his claims.

"At a time of heightened tensions in which war hawks are openly calling for the U.S. to attack Iran, spreading misinformation to scare Americans into fearing a so-called Iranian threat is profoundly reckless and we are glad the Congressman corrected the record,” said NIAC Policy Director Ryan Costello.

Related articles:

• Can You Shoot Down Drones In NJ? What To Know
• Feds Send Drone-Hunting Resources To NJ As Sightings Continue
• State Police Would Get Drone Interception Powers Under NJ Rep's Plan

The Associated Press contributed reporting.