‘People Are Misidentifying Them’: Mayorkas Downplays NJ Drone Concerns, Claims They’re Likely Store-Bought, Harmless

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas appeared on CNN Friday and tried to downplay concerns about the presence of drones in New Jersey’s airspace.

During an appearance on “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer,” Mayorkas discussed the drone sightings in New Jersey and said they are most likely consumer-grade and not a threat.  Mayorkas also said that U.S. security personnel dedicate themselves to the nation’s safety.

“There very well may be drones in the sky, of course, but those are commercially available. One can go into a convenience store and buy a small drone. There are also commercial drones as well, but we know of no threat or nefarious activity,” Mayorkas said.

Mayorkas said his department lacks the authority to address the drone sightings.

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“It’s not as though anyone can just take down a drone in the sky. That in and of itself would be dangerous. Our authorities are very limited. That is precisely why we have gone to Congress to expand those authorities. Our authorities are limited by the United States Coast Guard in the maritime environment,” Mayorkas told Blitzer when asked if they have the authority to shoot down the drones.

Responding to questions about the federal response capabilities, Mayorkas said that while the U.S. has certain authorities through agencies like the Coast Guard, Secret Service, and Customs and Border Protection, the power to intervene is limited and specific to each agency’s mission.

“We can’t just shoot a drone out of the sky for sure. We believe that there are cases of mistaken identity where drones are actually small aircraft and people are misidentifying them,” Mayorkas said.