Rep. Chris Smith (R.N.J.) blamed the Biden administration at a press conference Saturday for recent drone sightings that have baffled U.S. officials.
Since mid-November, sightings of unidentified drones flying over U.S. military installations and homes in New Jersey have sparked concern in the Garden State.
The aircraft was also spotted in Connecticut. On Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for drones to be “shot down” if necessary.
On Saturday, U.S. officials appeared to downplay concerns about the drones in a conference call with reporters, saying there was no evidence linking them to foreign adversaries.
More than 20 days after the incident, the Pentagon still has no answers about the origins of the mysterious New Jersey drone
Alejandro Mayorkas was recently called out during a press conference regarding drone sightings in New Jersey. (AP Images/Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
Smith, speaking from Seaside Heights, New Jersey, said he asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas why the origin of the drone remains unknown.
“I asked Secretary Mayorkas in a press conference, a Zoom conference, why we can't track them and find out where they're going,” the Republican told reporters. “They come from somewhere. … It doesn’t seem possible.
“Why can't we track them and find out what their origins are? Many of them seem to be coming from the sea.”
The representative also noted that he had contacted Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin to request that the U.S. military authorize the use of force against the unusual drone.
Drone mystery: New Jersey homeowners threaten to take matters into their own hands if government doesn't act
Authorities are investigating unusual drone activity in northern New Jersey, including the area around Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. (Getty Images)
“I have written to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking the Pentagon to clarify the mystery and authorize the use of force to suppress one or more of these unmanned threats at sea and over unpopulated areas. ,” Smith said. . “Catch them and find out who's doing it.”
New Jersey politicians also expressed the belief that the drones may have ties to at least one foreign government.
A map showing some of the locations where mysterious drones were sighted in New Jersey in December 2024. (Fox News)
“I think the elusive maneuvering of these drones signals the sophistication of a large-scale military force,” the Republican said. “That begs the question of whether they were deployed to test our defense capabilities or, worse, by a violent authoritarian state, perhaps Russia, China, Iran or North Korea.
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“So they certainly have the ability and they certainly have the motivation,” Smith added. “The Pentagon insists the drones don't belong to us.”
