Biden cabinet official says New Jersey residents are in fact seeing drones, and promises federal help

Days after federal officials questioned the serial sightings of mystery drones above New Jersey, a member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet confirmed Sunday that residents are in fact spotting drones crowding the nighttime skies.

“There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview.

Mayorkas pledged government action into the mysterious, colorful drones that thousands have reported hovering over and streaking across the sky above New Jersey, New York and the Philly suburbs — and which have stoked fear, confusion and conspiracy theories.

“I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings ... I want to assure the American public that we are on it.”

The about-face came days after the White House and FBI said that what were suspected as drones might actually be manned aircraft and “inaccurate sightings.”

At a news conference Thursday, national security communications adviser John Kirby said some of the drones were actually “lawfully operated” manned vehicles and posed no security threat.

On Sunday, Mayorkas said that at least some of the objects were indeed drones.

“Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” he said. “But there’s no question that drones are being sighted.”

Authorities have been flooded with reports of drone activity across New Jersey and neighboring East Coast states for weeks.

Last week, a host of New Jersey and Pennsylvania officials demanded more answers. On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy penned a letter to Biden, expressing “growing concern” about the drones and requesting more federal help and answers.

While there was no evidence the drones were a danger, Murphy said it was “frustrating to have no answers.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R., N.J.) called for the unidentified drones to be shot down, which is illegal. He also cited unconfirmed reports that foreign adversaries were behind the drones — claims federal officials have repeatedly rejected.

In the ABC interview, Mayorkoas said a 2023 change of a federal aviation rule allowing drones to fly at night could be one reason for the increase in sightings. He called on Congress to expand local and state authority to address the “drone situation.”

“We want state and local authorities to have the ability to counter growing activity under federal supervision,” he said. “Our authorities currently are limited and they are set to expire. We need them extended and expanded.”

The Department of Homeland Security recently briefed Jersey lawmakers on the drone sightings. According to Republican New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, officials told the group that there had been four to 180 drone sightings per night since mid-November (with some reports likely concerning the same drones.)

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told Stephanopoulos that he and his family saw drones above his home just days ago. While crediting Mayorkas for providing information, he said authorities need to be more transparent.

“I can’t tell you the number of people that have come up to me concerned about it,” he said. “When people see this kind of activity, it’s a newish technology to most people, and they’re worried and concerned. It’s a lack of communication from the government at the federal and state level that’s at fault here.”