New York and New Jersey airspace has been temporarily closed to drones, as authorities have worked to slow the number of sightings across the eastern US.
However, the measures were “purely precautionary,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul assured.
“I’ve spoken with Secretary Mayorkas multiple times and was just informed that he has coordinated with federal partners and the FAA plans to grant temporary flight restrictions over some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites — this action is purely precautionary; there [is] no threat to these sites,” she said.
Dozens of areas were affected by the restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Drones have also been spotted in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, California and Florida.
Lawmakers have taken to social media to voice their concerns about what they said was a lack of communication from the federal government.
House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested this week that the Biden administration had brushed off the public’s concerns.
“This is why we need Donald Trump back in the White House, to bring a steady hand to the wheel and a strong commander-in-chief,” he told Fox and Friends.
A bill that would allow law enforcement to track drones was blocked.
Key Points
- Biden says there’s ‘no sense of danger’ from drones
- FBI warns public against trying to shoot down suspected drones
- White House says drone sightings are ‘lawful, legal’ activity
- Mapped: Here’s where drones have been spotted
- FAA temporarily bans drones over parts of New York’s ‘critical infrastructure’
NJ GOP Congressman Jeff Van Drew claims ‘something is wrong’ with current drone response
20:58 , Julia MustoNew Jersey Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew reacted to the current drone situation across the US on the Fox Across America radio show.
“Something is wrong here. And I’ll leave you with this. Either it is gross stupidity and ineptitude by the government, this administration, or a cover-up or both,” he claimed.
Delaware police urge public to report suspicious drone activity
19:47 , Julia MustoThe Delaware State Police called on residents Friday to report any suspicious drone activity in the area.
“The Delaware State Police is aware of recent sightings of potential drone activity throughout the state. The operation of a drone is a legal activity. If there is an occasion that you find a drone in a suspicious area or the appearance of suspicious activity, the Delaware State Police is asking that these events be reported to our Delaware Anti-Terrorism Tipline at 1-800-FORCE-1-2,” it said. “Reporting these events in this manner will allow experts to evaluate the details of the event for proper action.”
New Jersey governor stresses there’s no public safety threat from drones
19:04 , Julia MustoNew Jersey Governor Phil Murphy stressed Thursday that there is no public safety threat from drones.
“There is no public threat here. Period. I could say that unequivocally,” Murphy told News 12. “I have a very, very, very high degree of confidence.”
New NJ drone sighting analysis finds majority of videos appear to capture planes, helicopters
17:25 , Julia MustoA new analysis of possible drone sightings over New Jersey has found that the majority of videos actually appeared to show planes or helicopters.
“None of the videos analyzed by The Times conclusively showed drones, though in some cases that remains a plausible explanation,” said The New York Times.
New York governor says FAA action is ‘purely precautionary'
15:30 , Julia Musto“Since mid-November, New York has been carefully monitoring reports of drone activity and we have been communicating closely with our federal partners. I’ve spoken with Secretary Mayorkas multiple times and was just informed that he has coordinated with federal partners and the FAA plans to grant temporary flight restrictions over some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites — this action is purely precautionary; there [is] no threat to these sites,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
“This is in addition to the state-of-the-art drone detection system delivered to us by the Biden-Harris Administration earlier this week. While we have not detected any public safety or national security threats, we will continue aggressively monitoring the situation as we call on Congress to pass legislation to give states and local law enforcement the authority and resources they need to manage this evolving technology. Public safety is my top priority and I will stop at nothing to keep my constituents safe.”
FAA temporarily bans drone flights over parts of New York
15:01 , Julia MustoThe Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily banned drone flights over parts of New York.
Some affected areas include Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and Yonkers.
NFL calls on Congress to address ongoing ‘threat’ of drones at games
11:34 , Joe SommerladBewildered New Jersey natives and local officials aren’t the only ones worried about drones; the NFL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR are now saying they don’t want any “unauthorized” drones over their events.
The sports giants are demanding swift legislative action to give them the teeth to stop the drones flying over – and potentially capturing video and photos – of their events.
One such bill, the Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, was blocked by the Senate earlier this year.
That legislation would have provided state and local officials with the authority to intercept drones if they violated the law, FOX 5 DC reports.
“The time for us to act on this is now,” Cathy Lanier, the NFL’s chief security officer, said in a statement.
“We don’t want to wait until something bad happens.”
Drone sightings at NFL games has reportedly spiked from 12 in 2017 to more than 2,800 in 2023.
Lanier said the trend was alarming, and noted that even though the NFL has technology that can alert officials to the presence of the drones, it has no legal authority to do anything about the devices.
Graig Graziosi has more.
NFL calls on Congress to address ongoing ‘threat’ of drones at games
‘It’s all bullsh**’: Moderator of drone subreddit quits over deluge of conspiracy theories about New Jersey sightings
07:00 , Julia Musto
‘It’s all bullsh**’: Mod of drone subreddit quits over deluge of New Jersey sightings
Here’s where drones are temporarily banned
06:01 , Julia MustoTemporary flying restriction areas are in parts within the city of Camden, according to WPVI.
They’re also in Gloucester City, Winslow Township, Evesham, Hancock’s Bridge in Lower Alloways Township in Salem County, Westampton, Burlington and Hamilton in Mercer County. Flying drones are also banned in Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, North Brunswick, Metuchen, Westampton, South Brunswick, Edison, Branchburg, Sewaren, Jersey City, Harrison, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Clifton and Kearny.
National Sheriffs’ Association calls for more transparency, coordination on drones
05:02 , Julia MustoSHERIFFS CALL FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY AND GOVERNMENT COORDINATION ON DRONE ISSUE
— National Sheriffs' Association (@NationalSheriff) December 19, 2024
December 19, 2024 – (Alexandria, V.A.) – The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) President Sheriff Kieran Donahue (Canyon County, I.D.) and Sheriff Michael Mastronardy (Ocean County, N.J.) released…
DHS says FAA restrictions ordered out of ‘an abundance of caution'
04:00 , Julia Musto“We continue to assess there is no public safety threat relating to the reported drone sightings,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement provided to ABC News.
“In coordination with the FAA and our critical infrastructure partners who requested temporary flight restrictions over their facilities, out of an abundance of caution, the FAA has issued temporary flight restrictions over some critical infrastructure facilities in New Jersey.”
The Federal Aviation Administration explains decision on drone restrictions
03:15 , Julia Musto“At the request of federal security partners, the FAA published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure,” the The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement reported by ABC News.
Drone expert talks about why not to shoot at possible drones
02:30 , Julia Musto“Not only is it against the law, it’s incredibly dangerous. if you’re shooting at something in the sky that you’re not sure what it is, it could be a drone, sure. It could also be manned aircraft,” Vic Moss, CEO & Co-Founder of Drone Service Providers Alliance, told LiveNOW from FOX.
New Jersey drone behavior ‘not normal for aircraft,’ sergeant says
01:46 , Julia Musto“We had something coming at us. And, as it’s coming at us, it stops. It does like a 180 in the air, and the drives away. And, it comes back and does like a giant ‘U’ around us,” Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Kevin Fennessy told CBS New York.
“So, that’s not normal for aircraft,” he noted.
New Jersey congressman says drones don’t seem to be targeting South Jersey’s sensitive facilities
01:01 , Julia MustoNew Jersey Rep. Donald Norcross said Thursday that drones flyin over his state don’t appear to be targeting sensitive or critical facilities in South Jersey.
“I’m reassured to see the increase in no-fly zones and specialized drone detection equipment aiming to keep drones away from sensitive facilities,” Norcross said in a statement. “Additionally, these facilities do not appear to have been inundated with many more sightings than other areas of the state in recent weeks.”
New York police say they can shoot drones out of the sky: ‘We don’t want to wait until we have some kind of disastrous event'
00:15 , Julia MustoNew York police say that they have the OK to shoot any troublesome drones out of the sky.
The order went out on Thursday, according to the New York Post.
“We don’t want to wait until we have some kind of disastrous event to then say, ‘Well, we could have done this and we could have done that,’” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told reporters.
Flight restrictions go in place across New Jersey for ‘security’ reasons as drones continue to fill the sky
Thursday 19 December 2024 23:30 , Julia Musto
Flight restrictions across New Jersey over ‘critical’ sites as drone wave continues
Pentagon says drone detection operations will continue despite potential shutdown
Thursday 19 December 2024 22:45 , Julia MustoPentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder told reporters on Thursday that drone detection operations would continue even if there is a government shutdown.
“We’re going to continue to do the operations as I highlighted. Military personnel, we’re going to continue to do operations necessary to protect and defend the nation,” he said.
“In so much as we need to protect our facilities or mitigate potential threats, we will be on point in doing that.”
Pentagon says leaders have authority to conduct mitigation operations if they perceive UAS activity to be a threat
Thursday 19 December 2024 22:05 , Julia Musto“The bottom line is that our forces, our commanders, if they observe UAS activity that they believe represents a threat, they have the authority to conduct mitigation operations based on the capability at their location,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder said at a press conference on Thursday.
One capability, he highlighted, could be the non-kinetic interruption of signals.
Pentagon says majority of drone detection systems have deployed
Thursday 19 December 2024 21:39 , Julia Musto“The majority of that capability has deployed. The rest should be arriving very shortly, if not imminently,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder said at a press conference on Thursday.
“That will be a combination of active and passive detection capabilities, as well as some counter-UAS capabilities, which would include non-kinetic types of systems like drone busters. Which essentially disrupts signals and effects the ability of these systems to fly,” he noted.
Federal authority to track and disable drones set to expire
Thursday 19 December 2024 21:00 , Julia MustoThe government’s ability to track and disable unmanned aircraft deemed threatening is reportedly set to expire after Friday and a temporary spending bill before Congress that would extend that power is up in the air.
In a plan to prevent a government shutdown, there is a provision to extend federal authority through mid-March, according to The Associated Press.
Washington Democrat says drones necessitate policy changes
Thursday 19 December 2024 20:31 , Julia MustoWashington Democratic Rep. Adam Smith says drones have become a significant concern for both civilians and the miliary.
“We don’t have the answers in terms of being able to figure out where these things are coming from and identifying them,” he told KIRO Newsradio. “We need to make some changes in our policy and in our capabilities to be able to address what is a very real and troubling threat.”
NFL calls on Congress to address ongoing ‘threat’ of drones at games
Thursday 19 December 2024 19:33 , Julia MustoNFL calls on Congress to address ongoing ‘threat’ of drones at games
Massachusetts state senator pitches legislation to regulate drones
Thursday 19 December 2024 19:00 , Julia MustoA Massachusetts state senator is hoping to propose more legislation to regulate drones in his state.
“If authoritative figures in institutions aren’t coming forward and saying in a timely fashion, ‘this is what this is,’ people are going to use their imagination,” John Velis, an Afghanistan veteran, told CBS Boston.
He also plans to refile a bill clarifying what exactly a “drone” is under Massachusetts law.
‘It’s all bullsh**’: Moderator of drone subreddit quits over deluge of conspiracy theories about New Jersey sightings
Thursday 19 December 2024 18:26 , Julia Musto
‘It’s all bullsh**’: Mod of drone subreddit quits over deluge of New Jersey sightings
NJ congressman calls on FAA to hold briefing after temporarily restricting airspace
Thursday 19 December 2024 17:30 , Julia MustoCongressman Josh Gottheimer is calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to host a briefing regarding its decision to ban drones over New Jersey communities.
“I reached out to the FAA first thing this morning and asked for an immediate briefing on their decision to ban drones from flying around twenty-two New Jersey towns,” he said, according to Insider NJ. “They must brief the public on the reasons for their action. Decisions like these made in a vacuum only lead to more confusion and uncertainty. These federal agencies must do better by Jersey families.”
Virginia police receive more than 150 tips about drone activity
Thursday 19 December 2024 16:15 , Julia MustoVirginia state police said Thursday that they have received more than 150 tips about drone activity in the state this month.
“We encourage anyone that witnesses a drone flying over critical infrastructure, such as energy installations, or military sites, to contact the Virginia Fusion Center,” Virginia State Police Special Agent D. Robinson said, according to WDBJ. “This will enable us to work with our partners to determine exactly what is occurring, and how to move forward.”
Connecticut lawmaker stresses drone sightings are not a ‘federal operation’
Thursday 19 December 2024 16:00 , James LiddellConnecticut Rep. Jim Himes said the drones people are seeing in New Jersey and other states are “not a federal operation.”
“What people are seeing or videotaping are either commercial or general aviation aircraft,” he told FOX 61. “In some instances, are law enforcement drones ... other commercial drones, or even hobbyist drones.”
Himes is a member of the House Intelligence Committee which had a classified briefing on the issue on Tuesday.
FAA temporarily bans drones over 22 New Jersey areas due to security reasons
Thursday 19 December 2024 15:46 , Julia MustoThe Federal Aviation Administration has imposed a temporary drone ban over 22 areas in New Jersey.
The agency cited “security reasons,” according to News 12 New Jersey,
Senate blocks bill related to drone sightings
Thursday 19 December 2024 15:00 , James LiddellSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer from advancing a bill that would allow local law enforcement agencies to track aerial drones on Wednesaday.
It ensures Congress won't act this year on the mysterious drone sightings that have bewildered residents of New Jersey and across the eastern US.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, sought to speed a bipartisan bill through the upper chamber by seeking unanimous consent on the floor, but Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, objected to its passage.
“The people in New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions, and they’re not getting good enough answers,” said Schumer. “The utter confusion surrounding these drone sightings shows that the feds can’t respond all on their own.”
New Jersey brewery owner says she’s seeing ‘weird’ stuff
Thursday 19 December 2024 14:02 , Julia MustoA New Jersey brewery owner says she knows people think she’s wrong about seeing the drones over her family’s home.
“It sucks that there’s a lot of people out there now that are saying, ‘You guys are crazy,’ ” Chrissy Doremus, of Morris County, told The Washington Post. “At this point, we know what planes look like. We know what helicopters are. And we’re seeing weird [stuff] out here.”
NJ military base 'target of contraband-smuggling drones’
Thursday 19 December 2024 13:00 , James LiddellA New Jersey military base says it has been targeted by contraband-smuggling drones and has put countermeasures in places to thwart incursions.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst said that incidents relate to efforts to drop prohibited items into FCI Fort Dix federal prison, which is housed on the facility.
“This year, there have been multiple drone detections, involving attempts to smuggle contraband into the federal correctional institution hosted on our base,” a base spokesperson toldThe War Zone.
Unmanned aircraft systems have previously smuggled cellphones, drugs and tobacco, and weight loss supplements amongst other items, according to the report.
‘Super-scary’ drone sightings unsettle New Jersey resident
Thursday 19 December 2024 12:01 , Julia MustoA New Jersey woman says recent drone sightings have been scary to see nearly every night.
“Every day, I am seeing more and more,” Carla Sousa, 36, told The Washington Post. “All different shapes and sizes. Some are silent, and some sound like helicopters. I saw one that looked like an aircraft.”
“It’s been super-scary,” she added. “My anxiety has been at an all-time high.”
Sen. Time Kaine says he’s ‘very frustrated’ by lack of answers about 2023 drone incursions
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:00 , Julia MustoVirginia Democratic Sen. Time Kaine says he is “very frustrated” with “so many unanswered questions” that remain about the drones that flew near a Virginia military installation for more than two weeks in December 2023.
“We’re kind of at the year anniversary of these incursions at Langley. And I’m very frustrated with the fact that there’s still so many unanswered questions,” Kaine told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
New York official calls out federal government on drone response
Thursday 19 December 2024 10:00 , Julia Musto“We don’t have the right tech, our internal processes are a mess, and I’m not even sure the right departments are in charge,” Rep. Pat Ryan said in a release. “Let’s take the time now to get this right.”
Mystery drones lead to increased holiday sales in Ohio
Thursday 19 December 2024 09:01 , Julia MustoAn Ohio business says it has seen a surge in customers looking for drones before the Chrstimas holiday.
“Drones are popular. We do have a lot of people that are inquiring, especially with it being in the news now,” Randy Kastl, president of the Hobby Shop, told WDTN. “It’s one of those things where they may have forgotten about it, and now it’s kind of brought it back to the forefront.”
Will drones affect holiday travel? This expert says says
Thursday 19 December 2024 08:03 , Julia MustoCould drones affect travel this holiday season?
“The airports can’t do anything else but shut down traffic even if there is just a reported sighting. Out of precautions for safety [airports] have to, and that’s the issue is [drone operators] can’t be tracked easily and can quickly shut down traffic and cause mass disruptions,” Brett Velicovich, the CEO of Expert Drones, told Fox News Digital via email.
Schumer says tri-state residents aren’t getting ‘good enough answers’ on drones
Thursday 19 December 2024 07:02 , Julia Musto“The people in New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions, and they’re not getting good enough answers,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday.
“The utter confusion surrounding these drone sightings shows that the feds can’t respond all on their own.”
NFL asks Congress to pay more attention to illegal drones at games
Thursday 19 December 2024 06:01 , Julia MustoNFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier is reportedly petitioning Congress to take more of a vested interest in drones flying over events and crowds of people.
“Over the past several years, an increasing number of drones have flown into restricted airspace during NFL games. With the nation’s attention now focused on drones, we again call on Congress to protect critical infrastructure and mass gathering such as major sporting events,” Lanier said in a press release.
Could drones aid first responders?
Thursday 19 December 2024 05:02 , Julia MustoA new project from Oklahoma’s Tulsa Fire Department and Oklahoma State University-Tulsa tests a breakthrough application of drones.
“Tulsa Fire successfully responded to and managed a complex first-responder scenario using Airwise technologies remotely without an operator on-site,” the university said Wednesday.
Expert makes it clear: Flying a drone isn’t illegal
Thursday 19 December 2024 04:00 , Julia Musto“There’s nothing illegal about flying a drone around,” John Michaud, the director of Husson University’s School of Legal Studies, told Maine’s WABI on Wednesday.
“The biggest thing that people have to understand is there is not right of privacy. You are not protected from having an airplane, a drone, or helicopter fly over your property,” he explained. “I think we need to have a better idea of if they are all drones, if they have done something that we can say, ‘No, this is wrong’, and I haven’t seen that yet.”
New Jersey state senator blasts federal response to drone situation
Thursday 19 December 2024 03:03 , Julia MustoNew Jersey state senator Doug Steinhardt said Wednesday that there is no clear leadership from federal agencies on drone sightings across the East Coast.
“And, that’s not trickling down to the state agencies, either,” he told Fox News’ Sandra Smith.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger on mysterious drone sightings: 'There’s much more that we could be doing'
Thursday 19 December 2024 02:01 , Julia MustoVirginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is among lawmakers calling for more action on drone sightings around the US.
“From a legislating standpoint, there’s much more we could be doing to set clear parameters of where drones can go,” she told WUSA.
“I think people should have an expectation that state and federal leadership are working with law enforcement entities at the state and federal level to understand certainly most recent of flurry of drone activity that we have seen,” Spanberger said.
See it: Even more possible drones fly over New Jersey
Thursday 19 December 2024 01:03 , Julia MustoNJ fire departments receive new guidance on drone response
Thursday 19 December 2024 00:01 , Julia MustoThe New Jersey Division of Fire Safety released a bulletin to fire departments with new safety recommendations for encountering downed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV’s, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
The guidance instructs fire service members to not approach downed or landed drones and to initially evacuate the area by 330 feet in all directions.
Sen. Rand Paul blocks bill that would let authorities track drones
Wednesday 18 December 2024 23:02 , Julia MustoKentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul blocked legislation Wednesday that would have expanded resources for state and local authorities to track drones over the Northeast.
Paul said the bill would give them unnecessary surveillance powers, according to The Hill.
Police, FBI investigate drones flying over a North Texas city
Wednesday 18 December 2024 22:32 , Julia Musto“We started responding to multiple reports of drones flying near city neighborhoods, federal and military properties on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 8:14 p.m,” White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook said in a post on social media.
Cook said police were working with the FBI and other agencies to investigate the aircraft.
Due to local media inquiries related to police radio traffic from last night, our team is releasing this statement:
— Christopher Cook (@cooktx) December 18, 2024
We started responding to multiple reports of drones flying near city neighborhoods, federal and military properties on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 8:14 p.m.… pic.twitter.com/SmT0hQJULE
