The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned residents of New Jersey on Monday against shooting down drones they cannot identify and pointed out potential legal repercussions and safety hazards.
The FBI and New Jersey State Police issued a warning to the public about the dangers of using lasers against unmanned aircraft. Authorities also warned the public against mistakenly firing at what are presumed to be unmanned aerial systems.
“FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police want to warn the public about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS but could be a manned aircraft,” the press release stated.
“FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking. However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS,” the press release added.
— FBI Newark (@FBINewark) December 16, 2024
The White House provided its most comprehensive briefing yet concerning a spate of drone sightings across the Northeast, CNN reported. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby informed reporters that the observed phenomena likely include a mix of legally operated commercial and hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, manned aircraft, helicopters, and even celestial bodies mistaken for drones.
“We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircrafts, helicopters, and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones,” Kirby said, according to CNN.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas discussed the issue on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” and dismissed the threat posed by these drones. Mayorkas downplayed these sightings and said people are just “misidentifying them.”
“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.
President-elect Donald Trump also commented on the issue and believes that the government is well aware of what’s happening.
“The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went. And for some reason, they don’t want to comment. And I think they’d be better off saying what it is. Our military knows, and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense,” Trump said, CBS News reported.
Washington Township Mayor Matthew Murello also expressed his concerns about mysterious drone activities and slammed the federal authorities for their silence. He pointed out the potential threats posed by drones and noted their capabilities to carry payloads and be utilized aggressively.
“I’m not trying to stir anything up, but we all know — if you just turn on the television — that drones can be used in an aggressive fashion,” Murello said, ABC News reported. “They can carry payloads. They can be used for all kinds of really aggressive-type things.”
(Featured Image Media Credit: Peretz Partensky/Flickr)
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