The federal government is “deploying additional resources” to combat the aerial drones that have raised concerns among East Coast residents – many in New Jersey – in recent weeks, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday.

“There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” he said on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday. “I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel and technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings.”

Mayorkas said more than 1 million drones are registered in the United States. A Chinese national living in Northern California was arrested last week on suspicion of flying a drone over restricted airspace – over the Vandenberg Space Force Base, Mayorkas said.

“It is our job to be vigilant,” he said. “If there is cause for concern and we identify foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate it to the American public. We are not aware of any of them at the moment.”

Witnesses have described clusters of lights and said they look like drones hovering over populated areas across the state. Reported sightings spread to New York and Maryland, drawing the attention of local residents and politicians. President-elect Donald Trump weighed in Friday, posting on social media: “Can this really happen without our government’s knowledge? I do not believe that!”

Mysterious drones reported from New York: Track weeks of sightings in New Jersey

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-New York, sparked controversy last week when she said she didn’t believe the federal government didn’t know what the objects were. She called on the Biden administration to “be very honest with us and just tell us what’s going on.”

Malliotakis doubled down on her claims Sunday, saying on Newsmax Sunday that lawmakers are “not getting answers” from the White House, which she said shows the administration “knows exactly what’s going on.”

Drone sightings will not be a “Hollywood movie.”

Rep. James Himes, D-Connecticut, was asked about the emerging conspiracy theories in an interview with Fox News Sunday. Himes said he understood people’s concerns and blamed the FAA for failing to explain to the public that the large number of commercial, private and military aircraft that fly over New Jersey in a 24-hour period could be mistaken for drones.

“Now let me say something I know with confidence: It is not the Iranians. It’s not the Chinese. They’re not Martians,” Himes said. “I know that’s very unsatisfactory for people who want to make a Hollywood movie out of it.”

Last week, White House national security and communications adviser John Kirby said the drone sightings appeared to be manned aircraft, adding that there was no evidence that the sightings “posed a threat to national security or represented public security or had a connection with foreign countries.”

Kirby said the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide “numerous detection methods” to solve the mystery.

Drones built in China are in focus

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, R-Illinois, ranking member of the House Subcommittee on China, told Sunday Morning Futures he is concerned about the influx of Chinese drones into the United States. Krishnamoorthi said even the U.S. military buys them “because they are cheap.” He said he was concerned that China could access the drones’ data “through the back door” and that they could end up spying on Americans.

“The problem is that you are essentially sacrificing our national security in the name of buying cheaper drones,” he said.

Chris Christie says he saw drones above his home amid reports of strange lights in New Jersey and other states

Chris Christie sees a drone from his garden

Add former Gov. Chris Christie to the list of New Jersey residents reporting mysterious “drone” sightings outside their homes. Christie said during an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that he believed he saw a drone over his home last week.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before and I’ve lived in this house for 30 years,” Christie said. “You can see why people are concerned, and it’s because of the lack of communication from the government at the state and federal levels.” “The state level is to blame here,” Christie said.

Christie said he wants state police to have the authority to “shoot down these drones and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing.” He said he understands why people are concerned.

− Zac Anderson

“Drone sightings” cause concern: But these theories could explain what’s happening

Some sightings may not be drones

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said such sightings largely do not appear to be drones at all. “In the past, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity where reported drones were actually manned aircraft or facilities,” the authorities said in a joint statement.

Harry Direen, an electronics and software development expert at DireenTech, said he wouldn’t be surprised if people saw drones first, but as the idea of ​​drones took hold, people assumed that any aircraft they weren’t were able to identify it was a drone.

“After likely valid sightings of possibly hobby drones, any aircraft can then become suspect,” he said.

− Jeanine Santucci

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US is devoting ‘additional resources’ to solve mystery of drone sightings