What’s New
An increasing number of “mystery drone” sightings have been reported in multiple states amid speculation by politicians and other public figures. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said last week that there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the FBI via email on Monday night.
Why It Matters
While it is not clear how many of the drone sightings may be a threat, speculation has continued to mount on possible risks to safety and national security, and multiple arrests tied to drones near sensitive areas have been reported over the past week.
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What To Know
Sightings of mysterious drones not believed to be consumer models were first reported in New Jersey last month and have continued for several weeks.
The sightings prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue temporary flight restrictions for New Jersey’s Picatinny Arsenal military base and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster earlier this month.
The New Jersey sightings quickly spread to other states. Additional mysterious objects believed to be drones were also recently spotted over New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio, according to CNN.
A Chinese national was reportedly arrested last week in the recording of unauthorized drone footage at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Over the weekend in Massachusetts, Boston police arrested two men over “hazardous drone operation” near Logan International Airport.
The following map created by Newsweek shows the states with recent mystery drone sightings and drone-related arrests:
Newsweek / Flourish
What People Are Saying
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, during a news conference on Monday: “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 even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on ABC’s This Week: “There’s no question that people are seeing drones. And I want to assure the 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.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in a letter to President Joe Biden: “The continued reporting of [drone] activity has raised more questions than answers and prompted an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms. … I respectfully urge you to continue to direct the federal agencies involved to work together until they uncover answers.”
President-elect Donald Trump, during a Mar-a-Lago news conference on Monday: “Something strange is going on. For some reason, they don’t want to tell the people … The government knows what is happening … They know where it came from and where it went, and for some reason they don’t want to comment.”
What Happens Next
Federal and state authorities continue to investigate the drone sightings, while the House Intelligence Committee will reportedly receive a classified briefing on the New Jersey sightings on Tuesday. New Jersey and some other states have requested additional assistance and resources from the Biden administration.