The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, provided an update Sunday on a rash of apparent drone sightings in the New Jersey region, saying the federal government will take action to address concerns but signaled that officials don’t have the authority to shoot them down.
Over the past several weeks, residents and local officials have reported drones flying over New Jersey, drawing intense speculation and scrutiny in the past week. Some federal lawmakers have called on the drones to be shot down or captured, while federal officials have not disclosed the source of the unmanned aerial vehicles.
Mayorkas added that the sightings are “in fact” of drones, but some are “manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” echoing previous statements made by the FBI, DHS, and the White House. He did not provide further details.
“But there’s no question that drones are being sighted,” the secretary said, adding that there are “thousands” of drones that are flown every day in the United States, including commercial and recreational vehicles. He also pointed out that in September 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration changed federal rules that allow drones to fly in the evening.
“I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities,” Mayorkas said. “And it is critical, as we all have said for a number of years that we need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation. Our authorities currently are limited, and they are set to expire. We need them extended and expanded.”
Elaborating, he called on Congress to allow state and local officials to have broader latitude in dealing with drones “under federal supervision.”
When asked by Stephanopoulos about whether the drones should be shot down, as suggested by President-elect Donald Trump in a social media post over the weekend, Mayorkas signaled that the U.S. government has limited capacity in that regard.
Mayorkas said Sunday that the U.S. government is “limited in our authorities” in taking down a drone, noting that there are more than 8,000 drones being flown each day across the country.
“We have certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security that can do that, and outside our department,” he added, “but we need those authorities expanded as well.”
The Homeland Security secretary then stressed that U.S. officials have not seen evidence that the drones are being operated by a foreign adversary, echoing statements made by the White House and FBI. He also suggested that the drones have not been flown over any sensitive or restricted areas.
“When a drone is flown over restricted air space, we act very, very swiftly,” said Mayorkas, who is due to leave office on Jan. 20, 2025. “And, in fact, when an individual in California flew a drone over restricted air space, that individual was identified, apprehended, and is being charged by federal authorities. And so we act as swiftly as possible when an individual does fly a drone over restricted air space and violates the rules.”
The suspect, Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport right before he was set to board a flight back to China on Dec. 9, officials have said.
