A member of the House Intelligence Committee dismissed rumors surrounding sightings of mysterious drones in New Jersey and other parts of the US East Coast on Sunday, emphasizing the lack of evidence for foreign involvement.
Federal Agencies Issue Joint Statement
Last Thursday, federal agencies released a joint statement assuring the public that the mysterious drones sighted in New Jersey posed no foreign threat or public safety danger. However, the statement did not clarify what New Jersey residents were observing, leaving the matter unresolved.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas became the first administration official to address the issue on camera during an interview with ABC’s This Week.
“We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the northeast,” Mayorkas stated. “And we are vigilant in investigating this matter, the Department of Homeland Security, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the lead.”
Mysterious Drones in New Jersey
Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut and member of the House Intelligence Committee, voiced his frustration over the federal government’s response on mysterious drones during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Himes criticized the lack of clear communication, which he said was allowing misinformation to flourish.
“There are a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” Himes said. “The answer ‘we don’t know’ is not a good enough answer when people are anxious, when they are nervous.”
Himes added, “People will fill a vacuum with their fears and anxieties,” humorously quipping, “Oh my god, there’s an Iranian mothership hovering off the coast of Asbury Park!”
He reassured the public, saying, “Let me say something I know with confidence: It is not the Iranians, it is not the Chinese. They aren’t Martians.”
Addressing Mysterious Drones Concerns
Himes called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take proactive steps in addressing public concerns. “The FAA in particular, which is the agency of jurisdiction for our domestic skies, ought to be out Saturday morning debunking conspiracies and giving clear explanations for the phenomenon,” he said.
Himes also criticized the Biden administration for its perceived lack of leadership on the matter, noting that social media has fueled conspiracy theories about mysterious drones. He did not provide specific intelligence to support his claims that the drones were not of foreign origin but dismissed speculation that they were tied to adversarial governments.
Later, Himes refuted claims made by Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted without evidence that the drones were unmanned government aircraft.
Federal Agencies Respond
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also commented on the issue during ABC’s Sunday programming, urging federal authorities to quickly identify and report the drones’ origins.
“I’ve lived in New Jersey my whole life,” Christie said. “This is the first time that I’ve noticed drones over my house.”
The FBI and DHS reaffirmed in their joint statement that there was no evidence linking the drones to any foreign entity.
“We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports,” the agencies stated. “To be clear, they have uncovered no such malicious activity or intent at this stage. While there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities.”
