As New Jersey’s drone mystery deepens, local officials demand answers

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry needs answers. 

The constituents of his northern New Jersey township want to know what is going on with the strange lights that have been hovering in the night sky for weeks.

“I’m not sure how I can go back to my residents and say that I’m satisfied from this meeting, when now I know that I have 180 drones that have been flying over the state of New Jersey,” Perry said following a briefing Wednesday with a representative from the Department of Homeland Security. “We have no more information as to where these drones are coming from, where they’re launching from, where they’re landing.” 

The briefing comes as New Jersey is experiencing one of the more bizarre, widespread and extended bouts ever recorded of what appear to be unknown autonomous vehicles. 

The drones — which are not “hobbyist,” but commercial-grade devices, according to many officials — have sparked concerns over privacy, security and public safety since the first sightings in mid-November. Eyewitness reports, social media videos and officials confirm the drones are up to 6 feet in diameter, can quickly go from emitting eerie lights to no light at all and often avoid detection.  

Now, the unexplained drone sightings — and the lack of information about them — are prompting uncertainty and frustration from local officials and law enforcement who say agencies like the FBI and Homeland Security aren’t doing enough to be transparent with residents. 

At Wednesday’s briefing hosted by Gov. Phil Murphy’s office, a representative from Homeland Security joined via Skype to speak alongside state officials, addressing local officials on the issue. Murphy did not attend, according to local officials who were at the meeting. 

An apparent drone over Flanders, N.J., on Dec. 3.@xGabbyNu / TMX via AP

The FBI, which announced earlier this week that it was opening an investigation into the drones, did not have a representative present, Perry told NBC News. Other than that, little information is available. Mayors in attendance at the briefing told NBC News that no one from state or federal agencies could directly confirm how many drones they believe could be flying over the state, with one saying they know of “at least 400 sightings,” while another said “there could be thousands.” 

In a Wednesday segment of a program on WBGO, Murphy said that there could be “overreporting” of sightings, with many residents potentially seeing the same device or mistaking other flying objects for drones. 

Several officials present at the briefing stated that the drones are commercial-grade, but that they cannot confirm whether the drones belong to U.S. companies or foreign entities.  

Though Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. said Wednesday that the drones were coming from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast, the Pentagon quickly denied the claims. 

“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,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the same day.

Shortly after the meeting ended, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia posted online about her frustration, emphasizing her belief that “military intervention is the only path forward.” 

“We know nothing. PERIOD,” she wrote via X. “To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment.” 

Murphy later expressed plans to send letters to the congressional leadership and President Joe Biden urging answers for the community: “Overwhelmingly, the feds have to take the lead here.” 

“I’m relying overwhelmingly on the experts and the federal government who do this for a living,” he responded to a question regarding claims that there are no viable dangers. “There’s no evidence that anything is armed. There’s some theories out there — we take nothing off the table.” 

Technological developments that have improved the capability and availability of drones have made the machines a growing nuisance around the world — as well as a national security issue. Drones have begun playing a larger role in military conflicts, while also pestering American bases in the United Kingdom and the U.S. Police now often take special precautions to counter drones at major events.

The New Jersey drones were reportedly seen over the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County and Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, two military bases in the state, as well as over dozens of homes.  

Mine Hill Mayor Sam Morris, who attended Wednesday’s briefing, told NBC News that while officials said that they are able to detect and confirm drone sightings in multiple counties in the state, many of the drones go dark and lack any kind of trackers, making it difficult to take them down, identify them or follow them. 

The FBI said at a Homeland Security hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that while it has started an investigation, it did not yet have answers. 

“We do not attribute that to an individual or a group, yet; we’re investigating but I don’t have an answer of who’s responsible for that,” Robert W. Wheeler Jr., assistant director of the Critical Incident Response Group for the FBI, said. 

When asked whether there is a risk to the public, Wheeler said, “There’s nothing that is known, that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know and that’s the concerning part.” 

The U.S. Northern Command, a military agency established after 9/11 to coordinate Department of Defense civilian disaster response efforts, confirmed Wednesday that though it is aware of the sightings and has conducted an analysis, it has “not been requested to assist with these events.” 

State Sen. Jon Bramnick released a statement Tuesday urging the New Jersey leadership to announce a limited state of emergency in order to ban all drone flights until authorities can give more information on the sightings. 

“The public deserves answers about these drones! I’m calling for a limited state of emergency until we receive an explanation,” he wrote in a post on X. 

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden joined in the calls for a state of emergency Wednesday, urging the governor in a statement to issue an executive order banning recreational drone use during nighttime hours.

He said the drones have caused a growing sense of “unease” among residents. A map released by Monmouth County depicts several areas of reported sightings. 

As such sightings continue, New Jersey residents have taken to social media to share images and videos of the drones flying above them. 

One New Jersey resident, Verity Lee, posted a video on Facebook on Sunday, showing a bright, lit-up drone flying through the night sky above her.  Another Facebook user, Ernie Oporto, told NBC News that he filmed a drone in Woodbridge near the town’s police station. 

On Monday, a group of 20 mayors from Morris County wrote a letter to Murphy expressing “deep concern” and emphasizing the impact on 500,000 county residents and officials. The letter requested a formal investigation into the flights, clear communication to officials and an implementation of preventative measures to tackle unsafe drone operations.

Murphy said during a press gaggle Monday that he doesn’t “blame people for being frustrated,” adding “the most important point to say is we don’t see any concern for public safety.” 

Despite his emphasis that there is no cause for concern, more local officials are coming forward to say they are disappointed in the lack of transparency from both state and federal officials. 

State Rep. Chris Smith sent a letter to Defense Secretary Austin Lloyd on Wednesday, urging him to “immediately provide all capabilities at his disposal to identify and address the widespread drone activity across New Jersey.” 

“The serious concerns of New Jersey residents need to be put to rest with answers — not empty reassurances. The time to act is now,” Smith wrote in the letter. 

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also sent a letter to federal officials Wednesday, arguing that “without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread.”