Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas continued to deny on Sunday that there is an influx of drones across New Jersey, saying this time it was likely simply a result of relaxed rules regarding the devices.
Mayorkas appeared to downplay the growing concerns of residents, including former Gov. Chris Christie, who recently reported people flying over his home, and reiterated that there is no evidence of foreign involvement in the aerial phenomenon. .
“There is no question that people are seeing drones, and we as a federal government are committing additional resources, personnel, and technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in responding to drone sightings. I want to assure the American people that we are,” Mayorkas said on ABC News' “This Week.”
“Some drone sightings are actually drones; some manned aircraft are often mistaken for drones; and we have seen duplicate reports.”
However, Mayorkas explained that the Federal Aviation Administration tweaked its drone policy in September 2023 to allow night flights.
“That may be one reason why people are seeing more drones now than they used to, especially from dawn to dusk,” Mayorkas said. “I want to assure the American people that we are working on it.”
He previously claimed the drone was likely just from a “convenience store.”
New Jersey residents in particular are concerned about sightings that have continued across Morris, Passaic, Bergen and Hunterdon counties since at least November 18th.
Local Jersey officials and residents say the drones, some as large as SUVs, hover over critical public infrastructure, flying in grid patterns as if drawing maps.
Some of the drones are currently targeting densely populated Essex County, home to Newark Liberty International Airport and the busy Port of Newark.
They also moved to New York and other parts of the United States.
Some drones are said to fly at altitudes and speeds previously unknown commercially.
In the absence of a clear explanation from federal authorities, speculation is rampant about what's behind the strange glowing objects flying around in the sky, with some speculating that it might be some kind of super-secret military project. There is.
New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew said last week that he was told by a “highly reliable source” with “the highest security access” that the drone was “very likely” sent off the coast by an Iranian “mother ship.” He claimed that he was told that the cost would be high.
“We are working closely with state and local officials,” Mayorkas said Sunday. “And as we have all said for years, it is critical that we get additional authority from Congress to address the drone situation.”
Mayorkas said he wants to strengthen state and local powers to “counter drone activity under federal supervision.”
He estimates that as many as 8,000 drones fly in the U.S. every day, with more than 1 million registered.
Do you have footage of drones flying over New Jersey or New York? Send it to The Post at drones@nypost.com.
Late last week, President-elect Donald Trump questioned the idea that the federal government doesn't know where these drones are coming from and threatened to simply shoot them down.
Mr. Mayorkas said that in most cases there are limits for government officials to do so, but the federal government would act quickly if a drone flew near sensitive restricted airspace.
The Secretary of Homeland Security added, “We are not aware of any foreign involvement in the sightings in the Northeast.” “And we are carefully investigating this matter.
“On behalf of the American people, it is our job in the federal government, along with our state and local partners, to remain vigilant.”
The federal government is facing bipartisan criticism for not being more candid about the drone phenomenon and providing more answers about what is going on.
After his interview with Mayorkas, Christie slammed the Secretary of Homeland Security for downplaying the phenomenon.
“I've lived in New Jersey all my life, and this is the first time I've ever noticed a drone over my house,” Christie said on the show.
Late last week, Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) posted a thread detailing his findings on the drone epidemic after consulting with local governments and commercial pilots.
“After conducting a more detailed analysis with the assistance of commercial pilots and others, I concluded that most of the noted drone sightings were almost certainly planes,” Kim said. I wrote to X.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for drone detection systems to be sent to New York and New Jersey. Schumer also hinted at plans to fight for legislation aimed at giving state and local governments more power on the issue.
