What we know about the mysterious drones buzzing over New Jersey

After nearly a month of drone sightings over New Jersey, the mystery continues, sparking fear among residents and heated debate over what the flying objects are — and whether they are drones at all.

US authorities could not provide definitive answers, saying only that the facilities are not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available footage suggests that many of the drones registered were in fact manned aircraft.

But some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of drones and the lack of information available to the public.

Here’s what we know.

According to local authorities, dozens of drones have been reported over New Jersey since November 18.

The drones were initially spotted near the Raritan River, which flows into the Round Valley Reservoir – the largest in New Jersey, according to the Associated Press.

The sighting soon spread to other parts of the state, including the New Jersey coast.

Some of the flights were seen near the Picatinny Arsenal — a sensitive military research facility — and near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Several drones reportedly flew over the Bronx in nearby New York on December 12, a police official told CBS News, the BBC’s US affiliate.

Officers responding to the incident saw drones flying overhead, but they soon disappeared.

Drones have also been spotted in other parts of the state, according to New York State Police.

Connecticut State Police also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” has occurred in various parts of the state. A drone detection system has been deployed around the cities of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan claimed to have seen what appeared to be “dozens” of drones over his residence in Davidsonville, about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington, DC.

“Like many who have watched these drones, I don’t know if this increased activity over our skies is a threat to public or national security,” he wrote on X. “But the public is increasingly concerned and frustrated by the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”

In late November, the US Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones had been spotted over three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

British defense sources told the BBC that suspicion had fallen on the “statesman” responsible for the incursions.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones were seen for 17 days near US military facilities in Virginia.

Both federal and state authorities have said they do not consider drones dangerous or a threat to US national security.

After a briefing at the Department of Homeland Security on Dec. 11, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said the drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio.

Fantasia said the drones are up to 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter, travel with the lights off and “act in a coordinated manner.”

Her comments are in stark contrast to the White House, which suggested they were “manned aircraft”.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security also said most of the sightings appeared to be legitimate manned flights.

The statement added that there was none in restricted airspace.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement Friday saying more and more people are using drones, which means more people are seeing them in the sky.

He added that while drones can be used in most locations below 400 feet (121 m), drones cannot be used in controlled airspace around an airport without FAA approval; over designated, sensitive objects from the point of view of national security; in individual military bases, infrastructure and national landmarks; and in airspace where temporary flight restrictions apply.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones — which has not been confirmed at this point — it’s unclear who might be piloting them.

Citing anonymous “high-level sources,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew, Republican of New Jersey, said they came from an Iranian “mother” in the Atlantic.

The Pentagon quickly dismissed the comment, saying there was “no truth to it.”

“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there are no so-called materiel ships launching drones toward the United States,” Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamurthy — who serves on a congressional committee looking into the Chinese Communist Party — told NewsNation there was a “slight” possibility that China could be involved.

“It’s definitely a possibility, and the likelihood that they’ll be able to access the data collected by these drones is very high,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House insist that the objects are not of foreign origin.

Van Drew and other lawmakers rejected those waivers.

“Here’s the thing: They don’t know what it is. They don’t know what it’s about,” Van Drew told Fox News. “They have no idea where it’s coming from, but do they know what it’s about? This is nonsense.”

In a separate incident across the country, a northern California man was charged on Dec. 11 with flying a drone and taking pictures of Vandenberg Air Force Base near Santa Barbara.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the incident allegedly took place on November 30.

The man, 39-year-old Chinese national Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested just before boarding a flight to China. He appeared in court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty.

There was no suggestion that the incident was linked to a spate of reports of drone sightings on the East Coast.

Several lawmakers have suggested that the drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intent.

Among them is President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested on his Truth Social platform that drones cannot fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the public know, and now,” he wrote. “Otherwise beat them up.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also imposed temporary flight restrictions banning drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In its statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who carry out dangerous or unsafe operations could be fined up to $75,000 (£59,000) and could have their drone pilot certificates revoked.

In a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden released on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called on federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery, as well as push Congress to extend drone powers to local law enforcement.

Some residents suggested they could take action against the drones themselves – authorities strongly warned against doing so, as it is illegal.

“A good gun will fix this problem,” a man commented on a drone video on social media.