New Jersey drone cluster sightings prompt call for ‘state of emergency’ | New Jersey

Reports of mysterious night sky drone swarm sightings New Jersey and other areas of the northeastern United States triggered from congress members, triggering calls for a limited state of emergency to be declared in the region.

Jon Bramnick, republican party New Jersey senator calls for ban on all drones until mystery is solved. ABC’s action news He called for “a limited state of emergency… until the public receives an explanation for these multiple sightings,” the report said.

Concerns about unexplained drone sightings began in mid-November, when local residents posted isolated posts on social media. The issue, which has been steadily rising up the political food chain, burst onto the scene this week with state and federal authorities.

On Wednesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy held a Briefing call Drone reports were discussed with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and representatives from Congress and state police. He stressed that “there is currently no known threat to the public.”

Also on Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence hold hearing Regarding this issue. Robert Wheeler, the FBI official investigating the matter, confirmed at the hearing that the agency still had no explanation for the sightings.

Asked if the public was at risk, Wheeler responded: “Are we concerned that there is nefarious intent that could lead to an actual security or public safety incident? There’s nothing known that would allow me to say that, but we just don’t know. It’s That’s the worrying part of it.

He told lawmakers that a tip line set up by the FBI last week had received more than 3,000 sightings, but so far there had been no breakthrough.

The admission that the country’s preeminent law enforcement agencies remain largely ignorant of the mystery underscores the ongoing confusion. It’s unclear if there’s a group or individual behind the phenomenon, or if there’s any credible issue at all – there’s speculation that the flurry of activity could just be confusion caused by ordinary aircraft sightings, or that it’s a social media The product of distortion.

It’s been eight years since the sighting. New Jersey county. The mayors of 21 towns in the northern and central parts of the state signed a letter to Murphy calling for statewide action.

Concerns center around drones spotted near President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course, as well as sensitive infrastructure including power transmission sites, train stations and police departments.

More recently, sightings have spread to parts of New York City and suburban Philadelphia. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican congresswoman who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, told a House hearing that sightings were reported over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which is close to a U.S. military base. drone.

“They fly over sensitive infrastructure and we don’t know what they are or who’s behind them or what they’re doing, and that worries me very much, especially in a post-China spy balloon world,” She said, according to local media reports morristown daily.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon responded and responded to one person’s baseless accusations. New Jersey Republican Congressman The drone came from an “Iranian mothership” off the state’s coast.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singer told reporters that U.S. military leaders do not believe the drones or other aircraft came from “foreign entities or adversaries.”

She added: “There are no Iranian ships off the coast of the United States, and there are no so-called motherships launching drones against the United States.”

U.S. Northern Command also issued a statement.

“U.S. Northern Command, in consultation with other military organizations and interagency partners, conducted a thoughtful analysis of these incidents… We have not been asked to assist with these incidents at this time,” the statement read.