Two people were arrested for allegedly conducting a “dangerous drone operation” near a Massachusetts airport, while people in New Jersey are demanding answers for similar sightings.
Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, were taken into custody Saturday evening after flying an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) near Boston’s Logan Airport.
The incident began at 4:30 PM ET when a police officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance spotted the UAS, which was smaller than the planes reported in New Jersey.
“Using advanced UAS monitoring technology, the officer identified the operator’s location, altitude, flight history and position on Long Island,” which is located in Boston Harbor on approach to the airport, the department added .
Officers were dispatched to that location and located three individuals at the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus, finding a drone in a backpack carried by Duffy.
However, one of the individuals fled the scene using a “small vessel” docked on the island in Boston Harbor.
Duffy and Folcik are currently charged with trespassing, but they could face more charges and fines as the investigation continues, the department said.
Their arrest comes amid unexplained drone sightings across the Northeast, spotted over military bases and airports in recent weeks.
Two men were arrested late Saturday night in Massachusetts for flying a drone “dangerously close” to Boston Logan International Airport
There is no evidence that Duffy and Folcik have any ties to the large drones that are plaguing states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
However, an airport in Orange County, New York was forced to close on Friday evening due to a drone in the airspace.
The drone sightings began in mid-November when drones were spotted over the US Army’s Picatinny Arsenal and President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster – both in New Jersey.
In the weeks that followed, similar drones were reported across the state and have since spread to other states in the region.
The FBI is investigating the mysterious activity, but so far the government claims there is nothing suspicious about the activity.
Federal agencies will also support the investigation into the recent drone flight over Logan Airport due to the “serious risks posed by the drone’s proximity to Logan airspace,” Boston police said.
These agencies include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Federal Communications Commission, which will work with the Massachusetts State Police and Logan Airport air traffic control.
Although the drone allegedly flown by Duffy and Folcik is much smaller than the drones that have caused panic in the Northeast, it still posed a serious threat to Logan Airport’s airspace.
“Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to aircraft and helicopters. Near misses can cause pilots to veer off course, endangering lives and property,” Boston police said.
Their arrest comes as unexplained drone sightings have occurred across the Northeast, prompting residents as well as state and local officials to demand answers.
There is no evidence that Duffy and Folcik have any ties to the large drones that have reportedly ravaged states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
“The Boston Police Department is reminding recreational drone operators of the importance of adhering to Federal Aviation Administration safety guidelines.
‘Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions.’
This isn’t the first drone-related arrest since strange large drones appeared in New Jersey.
Yinpiao Zhou, 39, a Chinese national now living in Brentwood, California, was arrested on November 30 for flying a small drone over the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
After investigating, officers discovered that his drone was taking photos of the base’s layout.
Zhou, who last entered the United States from China on November 26, was charged with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace.
These arrests add to growing concerns about the ability of both foreign and domestic entities to infiltrate and conduct surveillance on sensitive U.S. airspace and/or pose security risks.
Both the Pentagon and White House have told the public that there is no evidence that the major drone sightings in the Northeast are linked to foreign surveillance, or that they pose a threat to national security or public safety.
But residents and officials from the affected states aren’t buying it and have demanded more transparency from the federal government.
New Jersey State Representative Cory Booker warned that your lack of answers could contribute to the spread of fear and misinformation.
“We need to know what’s happening above our skies,” he said Thursday.
Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut also added his voice to those calling for the drones to be shot down.
“We should do a very urgent intelligence assessment and take them off the air, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Blumenthal said Thursday, as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill.
He added that people in the New York region are also concerned about the drones sharing airspace with commercial airlines and demanded more transparency from the Biden administration.