New Jersey Mayor Demands Answers as Mysterious Drone Sightings Stir Public Concern

Residents and officials grapple with the unknown as federal authorities struggle to explain persistent drone activity.

The skies over New Jersey and New York have become a source of growing anxiety as residents and local leaders, including Washington Township Mayor Matthew Murello, voice frustration over unexplained drone activity in the region. Despite assurances from federal authorities that the sightings pose no immediate threat, unanswered questions continue to fuel speculation and unease.

“Something’s going on,” Murello said during an appearance on Good Morning America. “Nobody knows what these things are doing. Best case scenario, they’re just getting video of us. Worst case, we don’t even want to think about it.”

Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, have ramped up efforts to investigate. Infrared cameras and drone detection systems have been deployed, and authorities are scrutinizing social media posts and other footage. Yet according to law enforcement sources, many of the images have been identified as manned aircraft, and no pilots have reported encountering drones in the area.

Frustration Grows Amid Limited Answers

Mayor Murello, who says he has personally observed drones over his town, dismissed official explanations as insufficient. “I have no way of telling you how big it was, but I can sure as heck tell you what they sound like,” he said. “And they are not manned aircraft.”

Murello and other local leaders have called on Governor Phil Murphy for transparency, writing letters and attending a meeting with state police. However, he reported that state officials offered little new information. Particularly puzzling to authorities is the fact that some drones are operating without emitting required radio frequencies or transponders, raising questions about their origins and intentions.

National Security Questions Persist

The mystery has drawn comments from President-elect Donald Trump, who criticized the lack of public information during remarks at Mar-a-Lago. “Our military knows, and our president knows, and for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense,” Trump said. “Something strange is going on.”

Federal officials, including White House national security adviser John Kirby, have sought to downplay concerns. Kirby stated that many reports of drones were simply misidentified aircraft and emphasized that there is “no evidence at this time” linking the sightings to national security threats.

However, Murello remains skeptical. “We’ve heard that before from our federal government—‘Don’t worry, we’re here to help you,’” he said. “That’s fantastic until it’s not.”

Lawmakers Push for Action

Concern over drone incursions isn’t limited to local leaders. Senators from New York and New Jersey, including Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, and Andy Kim, recently wrote to federal agencies demanding a briefing on efforts to address the sightings.

In one alarming incident, reports of drone activity temporarily halted flights at Stewart International Airport in New York. While officials stress that these incidents are rare, Murello expressed worry about the potential risks to air travel. “If pilots don’t see these things and they’re 6 feet in diameter and they hit an airplane—that is not going to end well,” he said.

Theories and Solutions

Murello floated two possible explanations for the mystery. One, he suggested, could involve national security measures related to President-elect Trump, whose Bedminster golf course lies nearby. “If this is about protecting the incoming president, that’s fine—just say it’s an issue of national security,” Murello said.

The other, more unsettling possibility is that federal authorities are as clueless as local residents. “We’re the greatest nation in the world with the most technologically advanced military, and we don’t know what the hell these things are? That’s scary,” he said.

Calls for Decisive Action

The drones’ elusive nature has prompted Murello to advocate for stronger measures. While federal authorities have warned against shooting down drones due to safety risks and legal penalties, the mayor suggested using technology to intercept one of the mysterious aircraft.

“We don’t need to bring all of them down, we need to bring one of them down,” Murello argued. “We bring one down, we figure out what’s going on.”

As the sightings continue to unsettle residents, the call for transparency and definitive action grows louder. For now, the drones remain an enigma, hovering both literally and figuratively over the communities they disturb.