WASHINGTON (AFP) – A top US official sought to quell growing concern Sunday over reported drone sightings in the country’s northeast, reiterating there was no known security threat as authorities monitor the situation.
President Joe Biden’s administration has faced mounting criticism for not clearly identifying origins of the objects seen hovering over parts of New York and New Jersey.
The criticism has come even from Biden’s own party, with top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer calling Sunday for action to make it easier for federal, state and local authorities to work together to detect and if need be “bring down” any drone seen to pose a threat.
Video footage of mysterious airborne phenomena recently has clogged social media, with spottings also reported in Maryland and Virginia.
“Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” program.
“But there’s no question that drones are being sighted,” he said, noting there are more than one million registered across the United States.
“I want to assure the American public that we are on it,” he said.
“If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now, we are not aware of any.”
Even as Mayorkas sought to reassure the public, Boston police announced Sunday that two Massachusetts men had been arrested the previous night for allegedly conducting a “hazardous drone operation” near the city’s Logan International Airport.
State police were conducting a search for a third suspect, who authorities said fled the scene.
Schumer, in a letter to Mayorkas Sunday, urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special drone-detection technology across New York and New Jersey, since traditional radar struggles to detect such small objects.
He also called for passage of legislation to explicitly authorize state and local law enforcement to work with federal agencies to detect and “bring down drones that threaten critical facilities or mass gatherings.”
Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, meanwhile expressed frustration at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over its communications around the issue.
“The answer ‘we don’t know’ is not a good enough answer,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”
“When people are anxious… people will fill a vacuum with, you know, their fears and anxieties and conspiracy theories,” he said, calling for the FAA to hold public briefings.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby had previously said the aircraft could be lawfully operated planes or helicopters mistaken for drones.
“While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities,” he said Thursday, calling for Congress to pass new legislation to “extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that authorities had agreed to send a drone detection system to her state.
“I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones,” she said on X.
On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump urged federal authorities to clearly identify the drones’ origins.
“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on social media.
As the price of drones has fallen — small quadcopter models with Wi-Fi camera capability can be purchased for as little as USD40 — their numbers and popularity have soared, making their presence in American skies a greater concern.