Large drones that’ve been spotted for weeks along the New Jersey shore as well as in states including New York and Pennsylvania are still a mystery.
According to information attributed to New Jersey state police and Department of Homeland Security officials, and reported by The Associated Press and other outlets, the drones are larger than hobbyist drones, about six feet in diameter. They’ve been seen since mid-November near military research facilities such as Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton, New Jersey, and a Bedminster golf course owned by president-elect Donald Trump.
The drones are reportedly flying without lights at night and are avoiding detection by traditional methods, and the FBI is investigating.
Officials have said that many of the sightings may have involved airplanes rather than drones, the AP reported, and that a single drone may’ve been reported more than once.
Flying drones at night in the area isn’t illegal as long as the device is registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the AP said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X that the state is actively monitoring the situation, along with government officials, and that there’s “no known threat to the public at this time.”
The FBI encouraged the public to call its hotline (1-800-CALL-FBI) or to upload photos and videos to tips.fbi.gov.
