By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TRENTON/NEW YORK (Worthy News) – Two Republican congressmen from New Jersey have urged the military to shoot down mysterious nighttime drones appearing above the U.S. state.
Jersey Shore-area Congressmen Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew made the appeal amid mounting concerns about the unknown flying objects since they were first spotted last month.
Smith said a Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County.
On Wednesday, Coast Guard Luitenant Luke Pinneo confirmed that “multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.”
According to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security, dozens of mysterious nighttime flights appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio.
In a message on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (two meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off.
The Morris County Republican was among several state and local lawmakers who met with state police and U.S. Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings, ranging from New York City through New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia.
FLYING OBJECTS
The worry stems from the flying objects initially spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
Most of the drones were seen spotted along coastal areas, and some were recently reported flying over a large reservoir in Clinton. Sightings also have been reported in neighboring states.
However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh suggested that residents do not worry. “Our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or adversary” such as China or Russia.
Governor Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have also stressed that the drones don’t appear to threaten public safety. Yet the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked residents to share any videos, photos, or other information they may have.
“This is something we’re taking deadly seriously. I don’t blame people for being frustrated,” Murphy explained.
Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where the drones have been reported, suggested his talks with police and Homeland Security didn’t lead to reassurances about the drones. “My understanding is they have no clue,” Peterson said.
James Edwards, of Succasunna, New Jersey, said he has seen a few drones flying over his neighborhood since last month. “It raises concern mainly because there’s so much that’s unknown,” Edwards told The Associated Press news agency.
“There are lots of people spouting off about various conspiracies that they believe are in play here, but that only adds fuel to the fire unnecessarily. We need to wait and see what is really happening here, not let fear of the unknown overtake us.”
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Six Democratic lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds have ignited a political firestorm after releasing a video urging U.S. service members and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders,” drawing sharp reactions from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The White House was preparing Friday for a highly visible meeting between Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump amid growing concerns over possible federal troop or National Guard deployments to the city. The made-for-television get-together comes as the president links the influx of migrants — many of them arriving undocumented, or in his words “illegally” — and rising crime in America’s largest city to what he describes as weakened local governance.
A Russian oil tanker under U.S. sanctions made a dramatic U-turn on its way to Venezuela after a U.S. warship appeared in its path near the country’s coast, Worthy News learned early Friday.
A man has been charged with federal terrorism offenses after allegedly dousing a woman with liquid and setting her on fire aboard a Chicago subway train, authorities confirmed Friday, in a case that revived concerns about transit safety amid rising violence in U.S. public-transport systems.
Capitol Hill — the U.S. seat of Congress and legislative center of American government — faced fresh drama Thursday when a small electrical fire broke out in the underground subway system connecting the Rayburn House Office Building to the U.S. Capitol, forcing evacuations.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump met Thursday with a group of freed Israeli hostages and their loved ones at the White House, praising the survivors as “heroes” and vowing continued support for efforts to return remaining captives held in Gaza.
Ukraine’s embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will negotiate with U.S. President Donald J. Trump over a controversial U.S.-backed peace proposal, despite senior figures in Kyiv calling the plan “absurd” and “unacceptable.”