Drone sightings spread beyond New Jersey as officials express outrage over federal response
Authorities in New York, Maryland and Connecticut have joined the chorus calling for a more urgency from the federal government to the mysterious unidentified flying objects.
By Kyla Guilfoil, Sophia Pargas and Jonathan Dienst
Dec. 13, 2024
The hundreds of mysterious New Jersey drone sightings are sparking mounting demands for a more forceful federal response, calls that come as even more sightings are being reported in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“What is happening is outrageous. Thousands of drones and unmanned aerial systems flying above us, and our government is not telling us who’s operating them and for what purpose,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said a press conference in Staten Island on Friday.
“I don’t believe that the United States of America, with its military capabilities, does not know what these objects are. And what I’m asking, and what we’re all asking, is for you to be straight with us and just tell us what is going on,” Malliotakis said.
Despite mounting concerns from a growing bipartisan chorus of elected officials, the White House said yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies “have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.”
In a statement to NBC News, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed it “does not currently have any unmanned aerial systems operating in or around New Jersey or New York.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post on X Friday that while she knows New Yorkers have spotted drones this week, “at this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat.”
The statements come as dozens of on-camera sightings have been captured in New Jersey and as concerns for safety and privacy continue to grow. Overnight, 79 sightings were reported across New Jersey alone, a senior official briefed on the drone sightings told NBC News.
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