The U.S. Department of Defense denied claims that an Iran "mothership" was responsible for launching the drones seen buzzing in the night sky over New Jersey in recent weeks.
Deputy Defense Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said there was "no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States. There is no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States." The Pentagon stated there was "no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary."
The denial came after Rep. Jeff Van Drew brought up the prospects of an Iranian ship putting out the drones.
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"Iran launched a mothership probably about a month ago, that contains these drones.... It's off the east coast of the United States of America. They've launched drones into everything that we can see or hear. And again, these are from high sources. I don't say this lightly," the New Jersey Republican said during a TV interview Wednesday.
Van Drew ruled out the possibility of a "really glorified hobbyist" being responsible for the drones, saying no individual would have access to that level of technology, nor it being the federal government.
"The third possibility was somebody, an adversarial country, doing this. Know that Iran made a deal with China to purchase drones, motherships and technology in order to go forward," said Van Drew, before noting that the drone "should be shot down."
The congressman admitted it was not known where the drones were landing after their flights. He said it was likely they were "extracting information" and represented a "clear and present danger to the United States and to our president-elect."
Singh said that while the DOD would continue to monitor the situation, "at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring." The Pentagon said the drones were not from the U.S. military, and the investigation was being handled by local law enforcement.
On Wednesday, hundreds of New Jersey mayors were invited to state police headquarters in Ewing for a briefing on the drone mystery — but some walked away disappointed about the information shared.
"I came here hoping there would be some answers. What I got out of the meeting was: don’t worry, but I don’t know what it is. That’s not reassuring – not to me, not to my residents," said Montgomery Mayor Neena Singh.
The mayors who spoke with NBC New York said neither Van Drew's comments nor Iran were addressed at Wednesday's meeting.
The sightings have been piling up for weeks from North Jersey to South Jersey. Drones have been spotted flying overhead at night in eight New Jersey counties so far, dating back to the week before Thanksgiving. With no clear answers and no one claiming responsibility, concern has continued to grow.
"I think when you have unmanned drones that are hovering, that aren’t the ones you get with 2-day shipping on Amazon, that is a concern to me," said Middletown Mayor Tony Perry.
The meeting with mayor came a day after the FBI was grilled by lawmakers in Washington, D.C., which also left local officials frustrated. Mine Hill Township Mayor Sam Morris said that they "were hoping for epiphanies" from that hearing, but they "really didn't get any."
Morris noted he did learn Wednesday that the drones do not have an identifying radio beacon, which they are supposed to. He wants the federal government to stop drones from flying at night, at least until the issue is resolved.
"What are they up to, what are they scanning. The fact that they don’t have radio beacons, to me, it suggests it's nefarious," said Morris.
New Jersey State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-21) on Tuesday called for a limited state of emergency banning all drone usage until authorities can provide answers. He said the ban should last "until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings.” Gov. Phil Murphy has said the drone sightings are under investigation; he was not at Wednesday's briefing.
Last week, Murphy posted on social media he had met with Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, members of the federal Department of Homeland Security, state police and members of the Garden State's congressional delegation to "discuss reported drone activity over parts of North and Central New Jersey."
"We are actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners on this matter," the second-term Democrat wrote, while noting there is no known threat to the public.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden called on the governor to call a state of emergency and issue an executive order banning the use of drones at night.
"We cannot wait any longer. The Governor must act now, and the Air National Guard needs to step in to protect our communities," Golden said.
Sightings of the buzzing drones over New Jersey communities have been reported for weeks, prompting the attention of not only local law enforcement but also the FBI. Last week, Staten Island became a target of the eyes in the sky.
New Jersey residents Phil Doyle and his wife Maureen went outside to their back patio on Tuesday night when they heard loud buzzing coming from overhead. Doyle said they saw dozens of flying objects, believed to be drones, coming from the direction of Picatinny Arsenal and heading northwest.
“One goes over and then another. It’s not two or three a night, it’s 30 or 50 a night. They have lights on them so you can see them,” he said.
Doyle estimates the dozens of drones flying over his home in Oak Ridge were about the size of his dining room table.
“Why are they suddenly here? What’s the basis for these drones suddenly appearing? They’ve been around for a while and now we are getting all this activity, so who’s behind it?” he asks.
