Lawmakers from New York and New Jersey Demand Federal Briefing on Mysterious Drones
Lawmakers from New York and New Jersey are demanding a federal briefing over the unmanned drones that have been alarming residents in the region over the past few weeks. The drones have been spotted in parts of Queens and the Bronx, leading to concerns over safety and national security.
Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, have sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and Federal Aviation Administration requesting a briefing on the drone activity. The lawmakers describe the sightings as “alarming” and a “potential safety risk.”
“We should know what’s going on over our skies,” said Sen. Booker.
The White House has also weighed in, with National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby stating that many of the over 3,000 reported sightings may have been planes mistaken for drones. “We have no evidence at this time that reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” he said.
However, Sen. Blumenthal has called for the drones to be shot down, while expressing concerns over the lack of intelligence on the unidentified aircraft. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they are flying over airports, military bases,” he said.
Meanwhile, residents in the affected areas have shared videos and photos of the mysterious drones, which appear to be identical in design. One resident, Rashawn McIntosh, captured footage of a drone hovering above his home in Springfield Gardens, Queens, at around midnight on Thursday. “It had a lot of blinking lights. It was hovering to where I would say that’s not a JFK plane,” he said. “My concern is not knowing where they came from.”