Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sought to assure Americans that the federal government is aware of drone sightings on the East Coast.
In an interview on ABC News' “This Week,” Mayorkas said there was no evidence of foreign involvement in the drone sightings, but that his agency remains “vigilant” in investigating the matter.
“We have not heard of any foreign involvement regarding the sightings in the Northeast, and we remain vigilant as the Department of Homeland Security, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigates this matter.”
Mayorkas said there is “no question” that drone sightings are genuine, but there are several explanations for the increase in sightings.
“There is no question that people are seeing drones, and I want to reassure the American people that, as a federal government, we are providing additional resources, personnel, and technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in responding to drone sightings. We want to make sure we're putting in the money,” Mayorkas said.
Mayorkas said some drones are “manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” adding: “We have seen duplicate reports, but there is no doubt that drones have been sighted. No,” he pointed out.
Mayorkas said thousands of drones fly every day and pointed to recent regulations allowing drone flights at night.
“Let's set the record straight here: … thousands of drones fly every day in the United States, both recreational and commercial. That's the reality,” he said.
“And in September 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, changed its rules to allow drones to fly at night,” he continued. “That may be one reason why people are seeing more drones now than ever before, especially from dawn to dusk. And that's the reality.”
Mayorkas called for more resources from the federal government to expand the agency's ability to respond to sightings.
“I want to assure the American people that we are working on it. We are working closely with state and local governments,” Mayorkas said. “And as we have all said for years, it is critical that we get additional authority from Congress to address the drone situation. Our authority currently is limited and has expired. We need to extend and expand them.”
