Mystery drone invasion sparks ‘state of emergency’ with urgent warning mothership lurks offshore: ‘Shoot them down’
The mysterious drone invasion of New Jersey has sparked calls for a “state of emergency” as officials claim an Iranian mothership is lurking off the coast.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew said Wednesday that Iran launched the ship containing drones “probably about a month ago” after striking a deal with China ‘to purchase drones, a mothership and other technologies.’
“These drones must be shot down,” he told FOX News, adding that “this puts the military on full alert.”
Concerns about unexplained UFOs began in mid-November when car-sized drones appeared over the U.S. Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway and newly elected President Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Senator Jon Bramnick (R) said, “The state of New Jersey should declare a limited emergency banning all drones until the public receives an explanation of these multiple sightings.”
The FBI has admitted it does not know who is behind the flying objects, while the US military has insisted it is not responsible. The White House says it is monitoring the situation ‘closely’.
Rep. Chris Smith (R) also spoke at the meeting and revealed a report of 50 drones emerging from the ocean.
‘[A Coast Guard officer] saw 50 drones coming out of the ocean… one of their 45-foot lifeboats was followed by between 12 and 30 of these drones,” Smith said.
The representative also noted that “it could be Putin, Xi Jinping in China or the Middle East, we can’t rule that out.”
Swarms of drones have been seen in New Jersey skies for weeks, prompting officials to call for a ‘limited state of emergency’
Mayors in 21 cities across the state have now written a joint letter to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy calling for statewide action.
The White House also addressed the drones in a briefing on Tuesday evening.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden is aware of the matter and “we are closely monitoring the activity,” but noted that she does not know when Biden was briefed.
“I can’t make any kind of prediction,” she said in response to a question about whether the drones are controlled by foreign entities that conduct surveillance.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was first alerted to the strange activity around the military base on November 18, six days after the drones were spotted.
Initial video footage showed drones with green and red lights on their wings, and several eyewitnesses described them as being as large as a small car.
During the hearing, Assistant FBI Director Robert Wheeler said, “There’s nothing known that would cause me to say that, but we just don’t know and that’s the relevant part.
He told Congress that more than 3,000 sightings had been reported to the agency’s tip line set up last week.
Drones have been reported in 12 counties: Sussex, Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, Camden, Burlington, Somerset, Hunterdon, Morris and Warren.
The sightings began in mid-November with images from car-sized drones with flashing lights
The FBI has received more than 3,000 drone sightings in the past week. The photo shows a drone captured in Lacey
The UFOs have been spotted over water reservoirs, electrical transmission lines, train stations, police departments and other military installations.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella also wrote a letter to the FAA and FBI earlier this month, requesting an investigation into the drone sightings on Staten Island, PIX 11 reported.
Wheeler was asked if the public was in danger, to which he responded, “Are we concerned that there is nefarious intent that could cause an actual security incident or a public safety incident?
“There’s nothing known that would make me say that, but we just don’t know. And that’s the relevant part of it.’
New Jerseyans have been watching the skies and reporting the bizarre drones on social media platforms, most notably a dedicated Facebook group.
Resident John Mastrogiovanni said, “They definitely come out of the ocean, I live on the bay and see them come out of the ocean every night.
The flying objects are larger than drones used by hobbyists, raising questions about their proximity to those specific locations
Officials and residents have also seen drones arriving from the ocean
’10-15 at a time. Once they reach land, some turn off their lights and head in a different direction, some low and some high. The ones I saw are low, quite loud and sound like a motorcycle on them.
‘They move slowly and then speed up quite quickly, it’s every night. They are four to five feet tall and use green and red lights.”
Kelly Ann of Osborne Island claimed to have seen the same sightings from the north when looking toward Atlantic City.
“They follow each other like they’re 100 feet apart,” she said.
Murphy has said the drones do not appear to pose a threat to public safety, but also noted that “this is something we take deadly seriously.”
“I don’t blame people for being frustrated,” Murphy added.
He said Monday that as soon as “you see them, they go dark,” calling the aircraft “very advanced.”
Murphy held a briefing call Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, as well as representatives in Congress and state police to discuss the drone reports.
The House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence also held a hearing on the topic.
DailyMail.com has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.