Drones have been reported over northern New Jersey since last month
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A naval station in New Jersey has confirmed “multiple” drones have breached its airspace as law enforcement officials continue to maintain that there is no evidence that they pose a threat to national security.
“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle,” Bill Addison, a public affairs officer for the Colts Neck, N.J., naval station, tells PEOPLE in a statement. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”
“We encourage members of the community to report any suspicious activity near the base to local law enforcement,” Addison adds.
The disclosure comes amid weeks of reports about mysterious nighttime drones — some larger than those used by hobbyists — seen flying over parts of northern New Jersey.
Meanwhile, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security called into question whether the drones were in fact drones in a joint statement on Thursday, Dec. 12.
“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security of public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” officials said. “The FBI, DHS and our fedearal partners in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Dec. 12, asking for the latter’s assistance in dealing with the issue.
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“Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity,” Murphy wrote on X.
Residents in the area, including Phil Doyle, told NBC affiliate WNBC that he allegedly saw dozens of drones fly over his home in Oak Ridge.
“One goes over and then another,” Doyle told the station. “It’s not two or three a night, it’s 30 or 50 a night. They have lights on them so you can see them.”
The FBI said that those with information related to the possible drone activity to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit it online at tips.fbi.gov.
