Government agencies say joint investigation into drone sightings finds no threat

Government agencies issued a joint statement Monday on the ongoing investigation into the mysterious drone sightings reported nationwide, primarily in New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic region, in recent weeks.

In the statement written by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense, the agencies said that while they “acknowledge the concern,” there is no evidence that the drones are “abnormal” or constitute a threat to national security or public safety.

The FBI has received more than 5,000 reports of suspected drone sightings over the “recent weeks,” generating about 100 leads, according to the release.

Advanced detection technology and trained visual observers were sent to northeastern states to help local and state authorities investigate.

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“After closely reviewing technical data and advice from concerned citizens, we believe the sightings to date include a combination of legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as aircraft manned, helicopters and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” he said.

Although the agencies said they had found no risks during their investigation so far, they urged Congress will pass a law upon return, this would “extend and expand existing anti-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threats that may emerge.”

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Agencies briefly discussed drone sightings over military installations in New Jersey and elsewhere, including in restricted airspace, but said they are “not new.”

“DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities as appropriate,” the statement said. “Local commanders are actively engaging to ensure appropriate detection and mitigation measures are in place.”

Michael Shellenberger, founder of Public News responded to the statement on X, calling on the Biden administration to admit that there had been drones in restricted airspace after initially saying there were none.

“Three days ago, Biden officials emphatically emphasized that drones had not entered restricted airspace,” he wrote. “Now the Biden administration (DHS) is admitting that there have been drone incursions over military bases – in a nonchalant way, as in ‘no big deal.’ Of course.”

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There are more than one million legally registered drones in the United States, according to the release, and thousands of them fly “on any given day” for commercial, amateur or law enforcement purposes.

“As the technology landscape evolves, we expect this number to increase over time,” the statement said.

The DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD said they would continue to support law enforcement in investigating drone sightings.