All week long, national news outlets have reported that drones 6 feet in diameter have been flying low above northern and central New Jersey.
Aside from a claim by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2), no government officials have said they know what they are or where they came from. Gov. Phil Murphy said that they do not pose a public safety threat, the FBI said it has no answers, and the Pentagon said they do not originate from foreign entities.
In Cape May County, Commissioner Director Leonard Desiderio said at a Dec. 10 county commissioners meeting that no drone sightings have been reported in the county. But Van Drew claimed Dec. 11 on Fox News that the drones are coming from an Iranian “mother ship,” a claim shot down by the Pentagon.
Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, said in a Dec. 11 press conference: “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called ‘mother ship’ launching drones towards the United States.”
Van Drew fired back, claiming Dec. 12 on Fox News that “We aren’t being told the truth … They are dealing with the American public like we’re stupid.” He continued to say that his sources, who he said have high levels of security clearance, agree with him on the drones’ Iranian source.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, most of the drones have been spotted in Hunterdon County, roughly 150 miles from Cape May.
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-24, Sussex County), relayed details on Twitter after she left a briefing for lawmakers at New Jersey State Police headquarters.
Fantasia said that the drones “operate in a coordinated manner … Lights are turned off, making them difficult to detect … [they] appear to avoid detection by traditional methods (e.g., helicopters, radio frequencies).”
She said that reports began on Nov. 18 “with sightings occurring every night since then, from dusk until 11 p.m. … Reports range from four to 180 sightings per night.”
Desiderio said in a Dec. 12 statement that he and Martin Pagliughi, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, have been “interfacing with state and federal law enforcement agencies” so they are ready to advise the public if drones are spotted locally and to potentially track them.
Resident Arlayne Robinson, of Woodbine, said at the Dec. 10 commissioners meeting that she has seen large drones near her house for months and that she is not surprised by the reports.
“If it’s happening in North Jersey, it’s definitely happening here,” she said, although no county or municipal officials could confirm that the drones are flying locally.
Contact the Reporter, Collin Hall, at chall@cmcherald.com or by phone at 609-886-8600, ext. 156.
