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Rep. Jeff Van Drew stunningly claimed Iran is behind the mysterious drones sighted flying over northern New Jersey as the FBI scrambles for answers. The Republican lawmaker from New Jersey told Fox News that Iran has launched a ‘mothership’ about a month ago that contains the drones off the coast. ‘These are from high sources,’ he claimed. ‘I don’t say this lightly.’ He added that they should be ‘shot down.’
However, the Pentagon said on Wednesday that there is no evidence the drones are the work of an adversary and said there is no truth there’s an Iranian ship off the coast of the U.S. ‘There’s no so called “mothership” launching drones toward the United States,’ said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. The FBI has been investigating the mysterious sightings as witnesses have spotted them on numerous occasions.
People have seen the unexplained cluster of what appear to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft for several weeks which are flying near sensitive locations including military instillations sparking concern. While the FBI out of Newark and local partners are investigating, they have been unable to determine if it is the work of one person or group. A top official with the FBI said they do not know if there is a reason to believe that Americans are at risk and that’s concerning.
House members held a hearing on Tuesday focused on the threats posed by unmanned aerial systems to the U.S. ‘You’re telling me we don’t know what the hell these drones are, in New Jersey are?’ Congressman Tony Gonzales asked. ‘That’s right,’ responded Robert Wheeler, FBI Assistant Director of the Critical Incident Response Group.
‘That’s crazy! I mean that’s crazy,’ the Texas congressman pushed back. ‘That’s madness that we don’t know what these drones are,’ he added. Gonzales argued not knowing what is flying in U.S. airspace is only the ‘tip of the iceberg of what’s to come’ and warned it must be fixed.
Wheeler said they do not know exactly what type of drones the ones being reported are, but he noted some are believed to be bigger than those commercially available. When asked how much the budget is for FBI counter-drone technology, Wheeler revealed it was less than $500,000. ‘No wonder we don’t know what the hell is going on. $500,000?’ Gonzales responded.
One of the challenges has been getting the authority to bring the drones down. Lawmakers urged officials to shoot one down to further examine it. The FBI has been going through more than 3,000 tips submitted by the public. There have also been sightings from New York. The FBI has warned it has seen a concerning increase in use of drones to commit crimes and being flown over sensitive facilities.
On Sunday alone, there were 49 reported sightings according to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. He noted that some are likely to have been repeat reports, but he does not blame people for being frustrated. ‘We don’t see any concern for public safety,’ Murphy said. ‘Having said that, it’s really frustrating that we don’t have more answers as to where they’re coming from and why they’re doing what they’re doing.’
Murphy said he has been in contact with the FBI and Homeland Security and encouraged people to continue to report sightings to the FBI. He described the drones as ‘very sophisticated.’ ‘The minute you get eyes on them, they go dark,’ Murphy said. ‘We’re obviously most concerned about sensitive targets and sensitive critical infrastructure,’ he added. Murphy noted the military facilities, utility assets and President-elect Donald Trump’s New Jersey home are all in the area. ‘This is something we’re taking deadly seriously,’ he said.
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