The Pentagon has stated that the mystery drones flying over parts of New Jersey and the northeast U.S. in recent weeks are not controlled by the U.S. military but also not believed to be controlled by foreign entities. Despite these claims, the Pentagon can’t say just who actually is in control of the drones causing havoc and concern along the Atlantic coast.
TechCrunch reports that in a press briefing on Wednesday, Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh addressed the ongoing mystery surrounding the drones that have been sighted over New Jersey and other northeastern states. Singh clarified that the Pentagon currently has no evidence to suggest that these drone activities are originating from foreign adversaries. Additionally, she emphasized that the drones are not part of the U.S. military’s operations.
The comments from the Pentagon come on the heels of a U.S. Congressional hearing held on Tuesday, which focused on the increasing drone activity in the region. During the hearing, several Capitol Hill lawmakers expressed their frustration with the lack of information and response to the drone incursions. The FBI informed lawmakers that it is collaborating with state and local authorities to investigate the situation and has received over 3,000 reports of drone sightings from the public. However, the agency has not yet identified who is responsible for the drone flights. Notably, a senior FBI official disclosed that the organization’s budget for counter-drone activities is only around $500,000.
In November, the FAA imposed a ban on drone flights in certain parts of New Jersey, following incidents where drones were spotted flying over sensitive locations such as the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and the Picatinny Arsenal military research and manufacturing facility in Morris County.
During the press briefing, Singh reiterated that the drones are unlikely to be from a foreign adversary, stating, “At this time, we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign adversary. We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening but at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring.” When asked if she could rule out the possibility of these being American drones, Singh responded, “These are not U.S. military drones.”
Singh also addressed a theory put forward by Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), who claimed that the drones were being launched by an Iranian “mothership” off the coast of the U.S. She firmly denied this theory, stating, “There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there’s no so-called ‘mothership’ launching drones towards the United States.”
Despite the ongoing investigation, the identity of those behind the drone flights remains unknown. The drones have caused concern among local residents and even prevented a medevac helicopter from transporting an injured car crash victim to a hospital in New Jersey.
Singh also acknowledged that the investigation might reveal that some of the reported sightings could be attributed to drones or “small airplanes” rather than a coordinated effort by a specific entity.
Read more at TechCrunch here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
