Dec. 13 (UPI) — There is no evidence to show that recent drone sightings over New Jersey pose a national security or public safety risk, federal security officials and the White House said.
The statements from officials in the White House, FBI and Department of Homeland Security were issued Thursday amid growing fears over the unexplained flying objects that have been seen in at least eight of New Jersey’s 21 counties as far back as a week before Thanksgiving.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia is among politicians demanding answers about the origins of the drones. In a statement Wednesday following a meeting on the issue at New Jersey State Police headquarters involving local politicians, she said drones have been spotted every night since Nov. 18 from dusk until 11 p.m. local time.
The drones are 6 feet in diameter and operate in a coordinated manner, she said.
“We know nothing. PERIOD,” she said.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have been investigating the sightings, and said in a joint statement Thursday that there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or public safety threat.
They also do not “have a foreign nexus,” the law enforcement agencies said.
“Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully,” the statement said.
“There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.”
National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby reiterated this stance during a White House press conference on Thursday.
“Now, that said, we certainly take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems, which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports, even though they have uncovered no malicious activity or intent at this particular stage,” he said.
Kirby added that while there is “no known malicious activity,” the issue underscores the need for Congress to pass legislation to extend and expand counter-drone authorities “so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure.”
On Wednesday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh shot down a conspiracy theory that the drones were launched by an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast, stating: “There is not any truth to that.”
“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,” Singh said during a press briefing, adding that “we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary.”
“We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening. But you know, at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring,” she said.