We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.
A top brass at the FBI on Tuesday told Congress that the bureau does not know much about the mysterious drones that have been spotted in New Jersey recently.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week issued two flight restrictions on the area surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, following questionable drone activity.
The drone sightings were first reported on Nov. 18, but still continue this week. New Jersey’s Gov. Phil Murphy said there were 49 reports of drones on Sunday alone, primarily in Hunterdon County, according to Fox News.
FBI Assistant Director of the Critical Incident Response Group Robert Wheeler told Congress during a joint hearing two Homeland Security subcommittees on unmanned aerial systems that the bureau has not seen anything that would lead them to believe the drones pose a danger to the American public.
“There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know. And that’s the concerning part,” Wheeler said. “We do not attribute [the drones] to an individual or a group yet. We’re investigating, but I don’t have an answer of who’s responsible for that of, one or more people that are responsible for those, drone flights.”
The FBI also confirmed that the bureau is looking into the drone activity, but does not know much about it so far, in a separate statement on Tuesday.
Wheeler also told Congress that just $500,000 of the bureau’s budget goes to counter-drone technology.
At the same hearing, a Customs and Border Patrol official said that there have also been nearly 7,000 drones detected near the country’s southern border on CBP sensors during an unspecified but recent six-week period. The agency could not interact with 95% of the drones because they did not violate U.S. airspace. It is unclear if these drones are connected to the ones in New Jersey.
The official also said none of the CBP’s budget has been allocated to counter drones.
Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.