For the past few weeks, residents across the Northeast have reported sightings of large, buzzing drones flying low over neighborhoods, airports and military bases, creating a sense of unease among residents.
The lack of transparency from authorities in regards of where these drones are coming from has just made things worse, with rumors quickly spreading online.
From potential U.F.O's to conspiracy theories that the drones belonged to the Iranian government, New Jersey officials have now debunked claims that drones were deployed to search for missing radioactive material from a shipping container following social media speculation linked to reports of the mystery drone sightings.
Another theory of mysterious drones spread online
The latest rumor surrounding the presence of large drones in parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut came from a TikTok video from John Ferguson, the CEO of an unmanned aircraft systems manufacturer that suggested the drones may be detecting gas leaks or radioactive material on the ground.
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After the TikTok went viral, Joe Rogan reposted the video and said "This is the first video about these drones that has got me genuinely concerned."
Ferguson's video has amassed more than 30 million views on X. Despite his claims, Ferguson told CBS News that he was not aware about the shipment until after he made the video.
"I have heard about the medical equipment that came up missing in a shipping container," Ferguson said. "I do not know much about it, but I do know that that is not a part of my video or anything that I have done to date."
According to a CBS News report, the shipment was a piece of medical equipment called a pin source, which contains a radioactive component commonly used to calibrate PET scanners.
The rumor began gaining traction online and was echoed by Belleville Mayor Michael Melham during an interview in which he suggested the drones might be involved in a search.
"In my opinion, they're looking for something," Melham said. "There is an alert that's out right now that radioactive material in New Jersey has gone missing on Dec. 2. There was a shipment that arrived at its destination. The container was damaged and was empty."
The Belleville Mayor told CBS news he used the instance as an example of what the drones could be looking for. "My point is, they are flying in a grid-like pattern, in my opinion, sniffing for something," he added.
Pin source shipment found by authorities
A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the material had been recovered but added that the drones were not part of the recovery operation.
According to reports, the shipment contained trace amounts of Germanium-68, a "very low-level radiation source" permitted to be shipped through common carriers," according to the NJDEP.
The department said the shipment was misplaced at a FedEx shipping facility before it was located on Dec. 10, repackaged and sent back to the manufacturer.
A radiation site manager at the Nazha Cancer Center told CBS News that the equipment arrived at a disposal facility in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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