Timeline of NJ drones from first appearance to present

In recent weeks, New Jersey residents have reported alleged sightings of large, mysterious drones hovering in the night sky.

The sightings, which began the week before Thanksgiving, have now been reported to law enforcement in several North Jersey counties. Photos, videos and reported sightings of the suspected drones flooded social media and even led to the creation of Facebook groups dedicated to solving the mystery.

The more the situation progresses, the more information is circulating. Multiple statements have been made by local, state and federal officials as residents continue to post their own theories on social media.

Here is a timeline of alleged drone-related events, from the earliest sightings and investigations in the county to recent statements from law enforcement, state and federal officials.

November 19: The district investigates the first sightings

On Tuesday, November 19, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a press release that officers on patrol had observed drone activity the night before. The alleged activity began to gain traction on social media.

Several groups, including the county sheriff’s office and the Office of Emergency Management, several city police departments, and state and federal law enforcement agencies, were aware of the drone reports and will “continue to coordinate, monitor, and investigate” the activities, the DA’s office stated.

November 26: The FBI moves in to investigate after additional sightings are reported

On Tuesday, November 26, a public affairs specialist at the FBI’s Newark office said it was working with state and local partners on the reported drone activity. At this point, there were reported sightings from at least Morris and Warren counties.

December 5: Governor Murphy meets with federal officials to discuss reported sightings

On December 5, Governor Phil Murphy said that he had convened a briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the New Jersey State Police to discuss the ongoing situation.

“We are actively monitoring the situation and are in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners on this matter,” Murphy said in a statement on X, adding that there was no evidence of a threat to public safety.

December 7: Drones spotted in at least 8 counties

As of December 7, drones were reportedly spotted in at least eight counties in north and central Jersey, including Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren.

December 8-9: Morris County mayors and New Jersey lawmakers demand action from the federal government

Over the weekend, 19 elected officials, including a group of Morris County mayors, wrote a letter calling for assistance from law enforcement, the FAA, the Department of Homeland Security and the New Jersey State Police. The letter said these authorities had taken a “reactive rather than proactive approach” to the matter.

The following day, several New Jersey lawmakers sent letters to state officials, including Murphy, demanding action and answers regarding the alleged drone activity.

Dec. 9: “This is something we take absolutely seriously,” Murphy said

On Monday, Murphy responded to questions from reporters after the signing of new legislation in Princeton and addressed the drone situation amid growing pressure from lawmakers. Murphy said the drones are sophisticated enough to go “dark” once they are detected.

“This is something we take absolutely seriously,” Murphy said, adding that while there has been “good cooperation from federal authorities,” he is pleading for more.

December 10: The FBI addresses a frustrated Congress

On Tuesday, an FBI official told members of Congress that the bureau has not yet identified a person or group that may be responsible for the drone sightings in New Jersey.

December 11: The Pentagon rejects claims that an Iranian “mother ship” is off the coast

On Wednesday, Congressman Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey suggested that the mysterious alleged drone sightings were due to an Iranian “mother ship” currently off the coast that was firing the reported drones

As this statement made headlines throughout the day, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that Van Drew’s statements were not true: “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there is no so-called mothership.” launches drones towards the United States.

Singh said there was no evidence that the reported drone activity came from a foreign company or the work of an adversary. She also said that “these are not US military drones.”

More about drones:These are the types of drones commonly available in the recreational and commercial sectors

December 12: The White House, FBI and DHS release updated statements

During a news conference Thursday, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said there is no evidence that reported drone sightings in New Jersey pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Kirby told reporters that Homeland Security, the FBI and local and state law enforcement agencies have used numerous “very sophisticated” detection methods to understand the origins of the suspected drones, but that they have not been able to confirm any of the reported visual sightings.

“To the contrary, upon reviewing the available images, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft operating legally,” Kirby said. Later in the day, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement that mirrored that of the White House.

The discussion and reporting of sightings of the drones on social media continued into Thursday night, despite federal officials’ statements.

On Friday morning, several local police departments issued new alerts, saying there was no known threat but urging residents to report suspicious drone activity to the FBI.

The FBI, NJ State Police and the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness are asking the public to report any information related to recent sightings of possible drones by calling 1-800-225-5324 or tips and video footage online at https Submit: //tips.fbi.gov/home.

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