No Evidence Drones in Northeast Are a Threat, Officials Say

Numerous sightings of flying objects in recent weeks have raised alarm, but federal law enforcement officials say that at least some were manned aircraft, such as airplanes or helicopters.

After reviewing thousands of tips, federal law enforcement officials on Saturday reaffirmed that mysterious drones spotted in the Northeast in recent weeks pose no national security threat and in most cases are not even drones.

Investigators reviewing video footage and interviews with witnesses have so far determined that at least some of the roaming objects were manned aircraft, such as airplanes or helicopters, that were misidentified as drones, according to officials from the F.B.I., Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity on Saturday because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Federal officials have received nearly 5,000 tips on drone sightings in recent weeks and deemed only 100 of them worthy of further investigation, an F.BI. official said.

The U.S. officials said they had confirmed drone sightings over military bases in New Jersey, including Picatinny Arsenal, but they had no evidence the devices were operated by a foreign government or authority. U.S. national security officials have not been able to identify the operators of the drones.

The rise of the drone sightings have caused alarm in communities in the Northeast as residents have increasingly looked to the sky with a cellphone in hand, hoping to learn more about the floating devices. State and local leaders have accused the Biden administration of not taking the drone sightings seriously. The airborne devices have captured the attention of Americans 22 months after a giant Chinese spy balloon drifted over the United States, causing a diplomatic crisis. President Biden eventually ordered it shot down.

President-elect Donald J. Trump weighed in on the situation on Saturday, suggesting that the Biden administration was withholding information about the drone sightings and that the devices should be shot down. Representative Christopher H. Smith, Republican of New Jersey, said in a statement on Friday that the White House’s attitude toward the sightings had been “dismissive.”

U.S. officials on Saturday said the administration had sent New Jersey officials radar technology with an “electro-optical infrared camera system” to track the devices.

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said she was investigating the aircraft with federal authorities. “At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat,” Ms. Hochul said in a statement on Friday.

Larry Hogan, the former governor of Maryland, posted on social media on Friday that he had seen “what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky” above his residence in the state. “The public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government,” Mr. Hogan said in a post on X that included a video of shining lights in the sky. (The post included an addendum that at least some of the lights Mr. Hogan had captured on video were the constellation Orion).

While local governments can impose their own restrictions on drone use, it is generally not illegal to fly drones in most locations, with the exception of restricted zones like some military sites. People are also restricted from flying drones above 400 feet and cannot cause property damage.

Earlier this week, John F. Kirby, Mr. Biden’s national security spokesman, said the investigation had not yet turned up any illegal activity.

“To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” Mr. Kirby said on Thursday.

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