Authorities — both state and national — insist there is no danger from drones seen flying over New Jersey, while also claiming they have no idea what the drones are.
The FBI, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and other top state government officials are telling Americans not to be fearful of sightings of car-size drones over the Garden State. However, the sightings led one US lawmaker to suggest the drones could be spy drones from Iran.
Officials admitted that the aircrafts showcase sophisticated capabilities and have evaded police drone and helicopter chases, per the New York Post.
The aircrafts reportedly hover in place for hours, which is longer than the reported battery life of known US unmanned aircrafts.
On Wednesday, New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew claimed the drones “very possibly could be” Iranian drones deployed from a “mothership” stationed off the coast of the US. Van Drew cited “highly reliable” sources with “top security access” in an interview with the Post.
“These drones should be shot down,” he said in a Fox News appearance. “The military is on full alert with this.”
The Pentagon has since rebuked Van Drew’s claims. A spokesperson insisted that there is “no evidence” these drones belong to an adversary.
“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States,” a Pentagon representative told reporters.
Meanwhile, the FBI continues to state they have no clue where the drones are coming from while insisting there is no danger. The inability to quell the public’s anxiety about the identified drones has drawn the ire of state senators as well.
State Sen. Doug Steinhardt told reporters that the lack of urgency from federal agencies left him feeling uneasy following a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security.
“They keep doubling down on, ‘there’s no threat,’ but they can’t find them and track them,” Steinhardt said.
