For weeks, people in states like California and New Jersey have been seeing groups of mysterious drone-like objects flying in the night sky. These sightings have caused concern, but officials are asking the public to stay calm. Here’s what we know so far:
Officials Say It’s Not a Threat
Federal authorities have said that most of the “drones” people are reporting are actually regular airplanes being mistaken for drones. Over the weekend, the White House stated there’s no sign of illegal activity, foreign interference, or any kind of threat to public safety.
“We have no evidence of criminal activity or anything dangerous happening,” a Homeland Security official said during a briefing. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also urged people to relax, saying, “There’s no proof of anything bad going on here.”
Officials are investigating the sightings using advanced tools, but details of the investigation remain private.
New Jersey at the Center of Sightings
Most reports of these drones are coming from New Jersey, along with a few nearby states. California has had some sightings too, but far fewer than on the East Coast.
On November 18, several reports of nighttime drone activity were made in New Jersey. Two days later, the FBI began investigating. By early December, they had set up 800 tip lines to handle the thousands of calls about drones, freeing up the 911 emergency lines. Out of 5,000 tips received, fewer than 100 were considered worth investigating further.
The FBI found that most of the objects people reported were actually airplanes following normal flight paths near major airports like Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia.
Homeland Security also confirmed that no drones were coming from foreign ships or other outside sources. Most of the sightings involved small planes or hobbyist drones.
Drone Sightings in California
In Southern California, some residents have also reported seeing strange objects in the sky. Viral videos from places like Temecula and Riverside showed clusters of lights that people thought were drones.
For example, Damon Angel, a music producer in Temecula, posted videos on Instagram showing strange lights in the sky. His videos went viral, getting millions of views. Another TikTok user in Riverside shared similar footage of mysterious lights.
FAA Reminds People About Drone Rules
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released guidelines on drone use. They explained that drones are becoming more popular, so people are noticing them more often. It’s legal to fly a drone in most areas as long as it stays below 400 feet, avoids other aircraft, and doesn’t cause harm to people or property.
The FAA has created two temporary no-fly zones in New Jersey: one around Picatinny Arsenal, a military base, and another around Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. These restrictions are temporary and will expire in late December.
Calls for Stronger Drone Laws
New Jersey Governor Murphy and New York Governor Kathy Hochul are pushing Congress to pass a law giving federal and state authorities more power to track and control drones. This would allow officials to better manage drone-related issues in the future.
President-elect Donald Trump also commented on the matter, saying, “The government knows where these drones are coming from and where they’re going. If they want to, they can track them back to their source.”
