Mystery drones flying over New Jersey have residents and officials puzzled

There is something strange happening in the skies above New Jersey, and no one seems quite sure what to make of it — not the governor, not members of Congress, not the FBI.

What they know is that starting in mid-November, dozens of drones have been spotted at night flying in at least 10 different counties across the state. What they don't know is where the drones are coming from, who's flying them and why.

The drones have been spotted above critical infrastructure, according to authorities, including reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations. On Thursday, the White House said that there was no indication that the drones have foreign ties, but that the investigation into the sightings is ongoing.

A U.S. Army base in northern Morris County has already had at least 11 sightings, Army officials said this week, several of which came even after the Federal Aviation Administration moved to temporarily restrict drones from flying overhead. In neighboring Somerset County, the FAA has also banned drones from flying over the golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump.

It's not illegal to fly a drone in New Jersey, so long as the operator is certified with the FAA. Small unregistered drones being used for recreation can be flown in unrestricted areas.

But the number and mysterious nature of the sightings have left many Garden State residents on edge. So too has their size, as many of the drones appear to be larger than those that are typically used by hobbyists.

The office of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy did not respond to a request for comment, but speaking at an unrelated bill signing earlier this week, Murphy said there had been 49 sightings on Sunday alone — though several of those may have been duplicates or merely possible sightings.

In a posting on social media last week, Murphy said state officials were "actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners."

"There is no known threat to the public at this time," Murphy said.

Murphy's assurances did little to quiet the concerns of residents and other officials across the state. In a statement posted to Facebook last week, the police chief of Florham Park, N.J., said "their presence appears nefarious in nature." And during a House hearing on Monday focused on unmanned aerial systems, N.J. Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican, said he thought the drones were a "very serious threat."

Given the alarm the drones have caused, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a statement Monday that he was calling for more transparency from federal officials.

"There is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state — from constituents and local officials alike — despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety," Booker wrote in a letter to leaders at the FBI, and the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security.

"As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread," he added.

So far at least one theory has been ruled out — that the drones were coming from the Picatinny Arsenal military research base in Morris County. In a statement obtained by the Morristown Daily Record on Monday, base commander Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II said the drones were not theirs.

"While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities," Bonham said.

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have opened an investigation, but bureau officials say key questions remain unresolved.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that, so far, there was no evidence that the drones pose a threat to national security or public safety — or that they have a "foreign nexus."

He said the federal government is taking the reports seriously and, working with state and local law enforcement, has used "very sophisticated electronic detection technologies" in its investigation.

"Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully," Kirby said.

The U.S. Coast Guard also confirmed that there's no sign of foreign involvement from coastal vessels, and no confirmed drone sightings in restricted airspace, according to Kirby.

But he noted that Congress should pass legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities" so that officials have tools to respond to any threats from drones.

Speaking to House lawmakers Monday, Robert Wheeler, the assistant director for the bureau's critical incident response group, said the FBI still did not know whether a specific individual was responsible for the flights or whether they were the work of a larger group.

In a statement, the FBI said it "remains engaged with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to share information and protect the public." It added that any drones "that pose a danger to any aircraft or are observed operating in restricted airspace or near critical infrastructure and other sensitive sites, can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov."

Unidentified drones have puzzled the public before. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported about unidentified drones swarming Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days. As with the drones over New Jersey, those flights called to memory the Chinese spy balloon that the U.S. military shot down over the coast of South Carolina in 2023.

The flights over New Jersey have led to calls for the military to shoot down the unidentified drones, but under federal law the military is largely prohibited from doing so unless the drone poses an imminent threat. It is also illegal for individuals to shoot down any aircraft — including drones.