What we do know is the mysterious drones buzzing over New Jersey

The mystery continues to unfold after nearly a month of drone sightings in New Jersey, sparking fear among residents and a heated debate about what the flying objects are — and whether they are drones at all.

US authorities could not give specific answers, saying only that the items are not believed to be dangerous to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available images suggest that most of the reported drone sightings were actually manned aircraft.

But on Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said some of the sightings were drones, as well as manned aircraft that are often mistaken for drones.

He also added that he was aware of the “impartiality of other countries” related to drone sightings.

Some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of drone reports and the lack of public information.

Here’s what we know.

A number of drone sightings have been reported in New Jersey since November 18, according to local authorities.

The drones were first spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that feeds into the Round Valley Reservoir – the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

Sightings spread to other parts of the country, including the New Jersey coast.

Some of the planes were spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal – a sensitive military research facility – and near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in the town of Bedminster, New Jersey.

In a city near New York, it was reported that many drones flew over the Bronx on December 12, a police chief told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

Police responded to the incident and saw the drones flying overhead, but they disappeared after that.

Drones were also reported in other parts of the state, according to the New York State Police, where the runways at Stewart Airfield in New York were forced to be closed due to drone activity on Friday, December 13, according to Governor Kathy Hochul.

“Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were closed for about an hour due to a drone in the air. This is too much,” he said in a statement released on Saturday.

Connecticut police have also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” has occurred in various parts of the state. A drone detection system has been installed in the cities of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan said he saw what appeared to be a “bunch” of drones in the area where he lives in Davidsonville, about 40 kilometers from Washington DC.

“Like many who have seen these airships, I don’t know if this increased activity over our skies is dangerous to public safety or national security,” he wrote in X. lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”

And in Boston, Massachusetts, two people were arrested on Saturday 14 December following what police called “dangerous drone activity” near Logan Airport on Long Island.

Both suspects, identified as Robert Duffy and Jeremy Folcik, are facing criminal charges, and could face additional charges or fines.

In late November, the United States Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones were seen over three US airfields in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

Security sources in the UK told the BBC that suspicion had fallen on a “state actor” responsible for the incidents.

Drones were also reported near the US military air base in Ramstein, Germany in early December.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones were seen for 17 days near US military bases in Virginia.

On the phone with reporters, officials of several American organizations tried to assure people that drones are not the work of a foreign actor or a threat to national security.

“I think there was a little bit of an overreaction,” the FBI official said.

While downplaying the public’s concerns, authorities were keen to stress that the investigation into the drone sighting was ongoing.

“We certainly understand why people are concerned. That’s one of the reasons we’re using critical resources,” said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“At the same time, it is important to understand that we have no current evidence that there is a threat to public safety,” DHS added.

The secretary of homeland security told ABC News on Sunday that he knows “no country is concerned about the sightings in the northeast. And we are on alert to investigate this matter.”

He added: “If there is any cause for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly”.

He said additional resources, personnel and technology have been deployed to assist the New Jersey State Police in investigating drone sightings.

He added that the Department of Homeland Security works “in close cooperation” with state and local authorities, adding that it is “critical” that state and local authorities are empowered to combat drone activity under federal supervision.

New York State Governor Hochul said Sunday that while he thanked the federal government for its support so far, more was needed. “Congress must pass legislation that will give us the power to deal directly with drones,” he wrote in a post to X.

Both federal and state authorities have said they do not believe drones are dangerous or pose a threat to US national security.

After a meeting with the Department of Homeland Security on December 11, New Jersey woman Dawn Fantasia said that drones seem to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio.

Fantasia said the drones are up to 6ft (1.8m) in diameter, travel with lights off and “operate in a coordinated manner”.

His comments are in stark contrast to the White House, which has suggested that these are “portable aircraft”.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security also said most of the sightings appeared to be legitimate, manned aircraft or drones.

Nothing has been reported in restricted space, the statement said.

Secretary Mayorkas told ABC that the explanation for the increase in drone sightings may be related to a change in federal law last year that allows drones to fly at night.

“That may be one of the reasons why people now see more drones than before, especially from morning to evening,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement on Friday saying that more and more people are using drones, which means more people are noticing them in the sky.

It added that while drones can fly in most areas below 400ft (121m), drones cannot fly in controlled airspace near an airport without FAA approval; over selected, security-sensitive institutions; on certain military bases, infrastructure and landmarks; and in airspace covered by temporary flight restrictions.

If things are confirmed as drones – which is currently not confirmed – it is not clear who might use them.

Citing anonymous “senior sources,” New Jersey Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew said they came from an Iranian “mother” in the Atlantic.

The Pentagon quickly dismissed the comment, saying there was “no truth to that”.

“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there is no so-called mother ship launching drones toward the United States,” deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi – who is on a congressional committee looking into China’s Communist Party – told NewsNation there was a “not insignificant” chance that China could be involved.

“Of course it’s possible and the chances that they won’t be able to access the information collected by these drones is very high,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House have both insisted there is no extraterrestrial origin.

Van Drew and other lawmakers pushed back on that denial.

“Here’s the deal: they don’t know what it is. They don’t know what it’s about,” Van Drew told Fox News. “They don’t know where it comes from, but they know what it’s about? That’s nonsense.”

In another nationwide incident, a northern California man was charged on Dec. 11 with illegally flying a drone and taking pictures of Vandenberg Space Force Base, near Santa Barbara.

The incident allegedly happened on November 30, according to prosecutors.

A 39-year-old man from China, Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested shortly before boarding a flight to China. He appeared in court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty.

There has been no suggestion that the incident is related to the number of reported drone sightings on the east coast.

Several lawmakers have suggested that drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and purpose.

Among them is President-elect Donald Trump, who took to his social network Truth Social and suggested that drones cannot fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the community know, and now,” he wrote. “Otherwise, shoot them down”.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also established temporary flight restrictions banning drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who engage in unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 (£59,000) and have their drone licenses revoked.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden published on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called on federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery, and to force Congress to extend anti-drone powers to local law enforcement.

Some residents have suggested they may take action against the drones themselves – something authorities have warned against doing, as it is illegal.

“A good gun will fix that problem,” a man commented on the drone video on social media.