
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sought to calm growing concerns over mysterious drones in New Jersey during a CNN interview Friday, stating something unlikely: they are likely commercially available devices with no connection to malicious activity.
“There very well may be drones in the sky, of course, but those are commercially available,” Mayorkas said on The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer. “We know of no threat or nefarious activity.”
The comments come amid rising alarm in Morristown, New Jersey, where residents have reported an increasing number of drone sightings. Some speculate the drones could be foreign surveillance tools or linked to potential threats against President-elect Donald Trump. Local witness Lauren Noeth told the Daily Caller, “What started as a few people posting on Facebook groups about sightings has become nearly everyone in town having seen them.”
Mayorkas stressed the limitations of his department’s ability to address the drone issue, stating that agencies like the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection have only narrowly defined authorities. “It’s not as though anyone can just take down a drone in the sky. That in and of itself would be dangerous,” he said, reiterating his department’s call for Congress to grant expanded powers.
Federal investigations are underway to determine the origins and intentions behind the drone sightings. While Mayorkas emphasized there is no evidence of a threat, first responders in New Jersey have been instructed to prepare for potential hazards, including involving bomb squads and wearing hazmat suits when encountering drones.
Residents remain uneasy despite federal reassurances. Calls for greater transparency and decisive action are growing as the drone sightings continue to puzzle and alarm the public.