The federal government is “deploying additional resources” to address the aerial drones that have prompted concern among East Coast residents − many in New Jersey − in recent weeks, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday.
“There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” he said Sunday on ABC News “This Week.” “I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings.”
Mayorkas said more than 1 million drones are registered in the U.S. A Chinese national living in Northern California was arrested last week on suspicion of flying a drone over restricted airspace − over Vandenberg Space Force Base, Mayorkas said.
“It is our job to be vigilant,” he said. “If there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or crimnial activity we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now we are not aware of any.”
Witnesses have described clusters of lights, saying they look like drones hovering over populated areas around the state. The reported sightings have expanded to New York and Maryland and have attracted the attention of residents and politicians. President-elect Donald Trump chimed in Friday, posting on social media: “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t thinks so!”
Mysterious drones reported in New York:Follow weeks of sightings in New Jersey
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-New York, sparked controversy last week when she said she does not believe the federal government does not know what the objects are. She urged the Biden administration to “be straight with us and just tell us what is going on.”
Malliotakis doubled down on her claims Sunday, saying on Newsmax Sunday that lawmakers are getting “zero answers” from the White House, which she said shows the government “knows exactly what is going on.”
Rep. James Himes, D-Connecticut, in an interview with Fox News Sunday, was asked about the emerging conspiracy theories. Himes said he understood why people are anxious, and he chastised the FAA for failing to explain to the public that the large number of commercial, private and military aircraft that fly over New Jersey in any 24-hour period could be confused with drones.
“Now, let me say something that I know with confidence. It is not the Iranians. It is not the Chinese. They aren’t Martians,” Himes said. “I know that’s very unsatisfying for people who want a Hollywood movie out of this.”
Last week, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said the drone sightings appeared to be piloted aircraft, adding that there was no evidence the sightings “pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
Kirby did say the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide “numerous detection methods” to solve the mystery.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, R-Illinois, ranking member of the House Subcommittee on China, told Sunday Morning Futures he was concerned about the influx of Chinese-made drones into the U.S. Krishnamoorthi said even the U.S. military buys them “because they are cheap.” He said he was concerned China could access data from the drones “in a backdoor manner” and so they ultimately could spy on Americans.
“The problem is, you are basically sacrificing our national security in the name of buying more inexpensive drones,” he said.
Chris Christie says he saw dronesabove his home amid reports of strange lights in NJ, other states
Add former Gov. Chris Christie to the list of New Jersey residents reporting mysterious “drone” sightings outside of their homes. Christie said during an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” he believes he saw a drone over his house last week.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I’ve been living at that house for 30 years,” Christie said.“You can see why people are concerned, and it’s a lack of communication from the government at the federal and state level that’s at fault here,” Christie said.
Christie said he wants the state police to have authority to “bring those drones down and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing.” He said he understood why people are concerned.
− Zac Anderson
‘Drone sightings’ prompt worries:But these theories could explain what’s happening
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have said such sightings mostly appear to not be drones at all. “Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities,” the agencies said in a joint statement.
Harry Direen, an electronic and software engineering expert at DireenTech, said he wouldn’t be surprised if people were seeing drones at first, but that once the notion of drones took hold, people assumed any aircraft they couldn’t identify was a drone.
“After what were likely valid sightings of possibly hobbyist drones, every aircraft can then become suspicious,” he said.
− Jeanine Santucci