Mystery Drones Spread to Seven States, Leaving Officials and Residents Demanding Answers

What Happened?

It has been weeks of fear and confusion regarding the mysterious drones buzzing around the Northeastern U.S.

But now, elected officials are urging decisive action to identify and put a stop to the flights.

While the lion’s share of the drones seem to be sighted over New Jersey and New York, sightings have now expanded to seven states. Additional states include Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

So far, much of the information around the drones is speculative. National security officials have said that the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference, and no current concern about a public safety threat.

To date, there is no information about the origin of drones flying over the eastern U.S. — or how they can be stopped. But both sides of the political aisle have called on Washington D.C. to figure it out.

Part of that includes officials demanding answers, and suggesting the use of better technology to identify the mystery drones.

Why it Matters

On Sunday, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer called for Homeland Security to deploy better technology to better identify the drones, as well as their operators. However, the federal government did not have much in the form of answers during media briefings Sunday morning.

‘There’s no question that people are seeing drones,’ Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during the briefing. ‘But I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities.’

Schumer has called on the federal government to use recently declassified radio wave technology to identify the drones. The detector can be attached to aircrafts or even drones, and be used to read its electronic registration, allowing authorities to track the crafts back to their landing place.

While state and local authorities are doing what they can, Schumer has pointed out that they do not have the authority to use the recently declassified technology, and it must be the federal government.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated Sunday that federal officials were working to send a drone detection system to the state. Although whether or not it will get the technology is unclear. Hochul didn’t provide much detail, or give any indication when the technology will be used.

Dozens of drones started to appear during the middle of the night last month of parts of New Jersey. That included over the U.S. Army’s Picatinny Arsenal research facility, and President-elect Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.

The sightings have only increased. They have now spread beyond New Jersey to seven states. Elected officials have called for stronger action against the unidentified drones, with Trump even suggesting shooting them down.

A bill before the U.S. Senate would expand the power of some federal agencies, furthering their authority to track the drones, and even give new powers to state and local authorities.

How it Affects You

The bottom line is that the drones have unnerved residents of the Northeastern U.S. It has sparked questions regarding safety, privacy, and security.

The unexplained flights have raised concerns over their purpose, and the mysterious nature of their operators has caused folks to ask why the government has not responded to the threat.

Without clear answers from officials, residents have been left to  speculate, and frustrated with authorities tasked with protecting them.