East Coast residents and lawmakers are again demanding answers after another series of drone sightings in the region, with the origin of the suspected craft still unclear.

Matthew Murello, the mayor of Washington Township, New Jersey, told “Good Morning America” ​​on Monday that he believes “something is going on” and expressed concern and frustration over the lack of responses from federal authorities.

“I’m not trying to shake anything up, but we all know – if you just turn on the TV – that drones can be used in aggressive ways,” Murello said. “They can carry payloads. They can be used for all sorts of really aggressive things.”

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday that “many” of the reported drone sightings appeared to be legally operating manned aircraft, adding that there was “no evidence at this time that the reported ones Drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety.” or have a foreign connection.”

But Murello said those living among the drones are not reassured.

“That’s a wonderful thing to say to your residents,” he said when asked about Kirby’s assurances. “This is fantastic until it’s not.”

“Nobody knows what these things do,” Murello added. “In the best case scenario, they only get videos from us. Again, I don’t know why we’re out here. We are nothing more than farming country. If you want videos of cows, I’ll be happy to send you some.” “

Murello questioned official statements that suggested “no threat was perceived.”

“We’ve heard this before from our federal government: ‘We’re not looking, we’re not watching you, we’re not watching your calls, we’re not doing everything and don’t worry – we’” “We are here and we are here “To help you,” he said.

Murello was among a group of New Jersey mayors who wrote to Gov. Phil Murphy asking for more information. The mayors were then invited to a meeting, but Murello said the governor was not present.

Instead, state police told mayors that they had little information about the drones. Authorities, Murello said, cannot explain why some drones are flown without emitting radio frequencies or using transponders – both of which are required by law when a drone is used at night.

Murello said he has personally seen “a few” drones “in my city.” He disputed Kirby’s statement that many of the reported sightings were misidentified manned aircraft.

“I can’t tell you how big it was, but I can sure as hell tell you what they sound like,” the mayor said. “And I know that’s not the case. What Admiral Kirby said – namely a manned aircraft – is simply not true.”

“I saw multi-rotor helicopter planes hovering above the tree line,” Murello said, recalling a law enforcement official saying the drones could be up to 6 feet in diameter. The fact that most are sighted at night makes it “very difficult to get a picture of them,” Murello added.

Reports of drone activity led to the temporary closure of the runways at New York’s Stewart International Airport on Friday. The potential threat to aircraft is a concern on the East Coast, Murello said.

“If pilots don’t see these things and they’re six feet in diameter and they hit an airplane, it’s not going to end well,” he said.

Senators are also pressing federal authorities for more information. Last week, New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim wrote to the heads of the FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Homeland Security requesting meetings.

“We write with urgent concern about the activities of unmanned aerial systems that have affected communities throughout New York and New Jersey in recent days,” the letter states, asking for an update as soon as possible on how your authorities are complying with federal and local law “We are working together with enforcement to identify and address the source of these attacks.”

The mystery has captured the public’s attention, with photos and videos of alleged sightings circulating on social media. An FBI official told reporters Saturday that of the nearly 5,000 tips the agency received, fewer than 100 provided credible leads for further investigations.

As the search for answers continues, Murello sees “only two logical conclusions.”

“One is that someone knows something and just won’t tell us,” the mayor said, hinting at possible national security risks surrounding Morristown Airport and President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster Golf Course.

“If this is an area that needs to be monitored in case the new president spends a lot of time here, guess what? I agree. “Just say it’s a national security issue,” he said.

An “even more frightening” explanation is that “we are the greatest nation in the world with the most technologically advanced military on planet Earth and we don’t know what the hell those things are,” Murello added. “That’s scary.”

The DHS and FAA have both warned against attempting to shoot down a suspected drone, citing the danger of falling debris and munitions.

It is illegal to shoot down a drone. Anyone who does so could face a fine of up to $250,000 and a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Murello said he “definitely” wouldn’t advise anyone to try to shoot down a drone. “You also don’t know if you’re going to hit it, where it’s going to hit and where the ammunition is going to land,” he said.

“But when I talk to friends of mine who are current and former state troopers, I have to say that we have the technology to shoot down a drone,” Murello added, suggesting that it was “absolutely silly” that Law enforcement agencies do not have the authority to shoot down drones unless they are deemed a threat by the federal government.

“We don’t have to take them all down, we have to take down one of them,” Murello continued. “If we take one down, we’ll find out what’s going on.”