Mysterious drones roil New Jersey, prompt FBI inquiry
State and federal officials are both stumped and concerned


What happened
Dozens of drones have been spotted over several areas of New Jersey since mid-November, including a sensitive military research facility and Donald Trump's golf resort, and state and federal officials said Wednesday they were concerned — and stumped.
Who said what
State lawmaker Dawn Fantasia (R) said she learned at a federal briefing Wednesday that the nocturnal drones are up to 6 feet across, sometimes fly with their lights off and "appear to avoid detection by traditional methods," per The Guardian. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said on Fox News that "high sources" told him the drones came from an Iranian "mothership" lurking off the East Coast.
Defense Department spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, per Reuters, "there is no Iranian ship" or "so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," and the Pentagon doesn't believe the drones are from a "foreign entity or adversary." State and federal officials have "assured the public they had nothing to fear," The New York Times said, but "New Jersey residents have described the rash of sightings as unsettling."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
FBI official Robert Wheeler told Congress on Tuesday that the bureau was "actively investigating" the drone sightings but didn't yet "have an answer of who's responsible," which was "concerning." Van Drew and other GOP lawmakers said the drones should be shot down.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland