December 11, 2024
Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK
The photo above was taken on Dec. 10 in the bayside section of Toms River, one of many New Jersey communities that have reported unexplained drone activity. Similar aircraft have been spotted in the sky in the Philadelphia area, prompting U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks County) to call for more public transparency into the FBI's ongoing investigation.
Sightings of suspected drones have been reported in a growing number of municipalities in the Philadelphia region over the last week, adding to reports of similar aircraft that have appeared in the sky in New Jersey and prompted a FBI investigation over the last month.
Since early December, drone sightings have been reported in the Bucks County communities of Carversville and Solebury Township; Media and Broomall in Delaware County; and over Northeast Philadelphia's Mayfair neighborhood. In South Jersey, they have been seen in Evesham Township, Cherry Hill, Mount Laurel and other municipalities.
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On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R), who serves parts of Bucks County, called for greater transparency into the investigation.
"The growing reports of unexplained drone activity in the Philadelphia region and our neighboring state of New Jersey demand immediate and decisive federal action," Fitzpatrick said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
Fitzpatrick is the chairman of the National Intelligence Enterprise subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He said he is coordinating federal law enforcement agencies to gain a better understanding of the drone sightings, which were first reported in November in several counties in North Jersey.
"While initial briefings indicate no immediate threat to public safety, I take seriously the legitimate concerns of my constituents, our neighbors in New Jersey, and the broader American public," Fitzgerald said. "I am calling on our federal agencies to immediately increase resources dedicated to investigating this escalating issue and to deliver a thorough public briefing. Transparency is not optional — it is a necessity."
In Philadelphia, City Councilmember Mike Driscoll (D-6th District) called on the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate drone sightings in the city. In addition to the recent reports in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Driscoll said an uptick in late-night drone usage in Philadelphia in recent months has created privacy and security concerns.
“Drones have become a fun hobby for many, but they are technically aviation equipment," Driscoll said in a statement Wednesday. "Drone users are subject to FAA laws, and we need to ensure the agency evolves with the technology across its entire jurisdiction."
Speculation about the more recent suspected drones sightings been rampant in the absence of more information from FBI investigators. The agency confirmed last week that many of the reports of sightings include clusters of drones with lights on them. The FBI also noted reports of a fixed-wing aircraft seen along the Raritan River in North Jersey. Drones also have been spotted in parts of New York, including Staten Island.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R) of New Jersey, who is on the Aviation subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told Fox News on Wednesday that he believes there is a connection to foreign adversaries and called for these drones to be shot down.
"I've gotten to know people," he said. "And from very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources. I'm going to tell you … Iran launched a mothership probably about a month ago that contains these drones. That mothership is off the east coast of the United States of America."
The Pentagon denied any link to Iran and existence of a "mothership" of drones, Fox News said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to meet again Wednesday with federal investigators and other state leaders for another briefing about the drones. On Monday, Murphy noted there had been nearly 50 reports in Hunterdon County on Sunday alone.
At Picatinny Arsenal, the military research base where drones were first spotted last month in Morris County, leaders said Tuesday that the aircraft is not related to any of their own activities.
The FAA has issued flight restrictions over Picatinny Arsenal, President-elect Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster and Staten Island.
New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Morris County) — who is running for governor this year — has called on Murphy to temporarily ban all drone flights in the state and declare a limited state of emergency as the investigation continues. A group of 21 mayors of New Jersey communities also sent Murphy a letter this week demanding more communication with local officials.
Fitzpatrick, who was reelected to his fifth term in November, called the coming days and weeks "a time for action and accountability" in addressing the unexplained aircraft. He urged the public to report drone activity to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting photos and details online at tips.fbi.gov.
