New Jersey lawmaker demands answers over unidentified drones

By U.S. Rep. Chris Smith
R-New Jersey

On the large number of drones flying throughout New Jersey and elsewhere that have so far evaded identification, origin, mission or potential threat to Americans, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shockingly said this week: "We haven’t seen anything unusual. We know of no threat."

What? The massive invasion of drones observed and recorded by many of our citizens including law enforcement and military personnel – many in this room – isn’t unusual?

Is he kidding?

How does Secretary Mayorkas who infamously told us for years that our southern border was secure and closed – when it was and is not – now insult our intelligence that "we haven’t seen anything unusual?"

This is usual? 

And how can he – and others like national security spokesman Admiral John Kirby – say we know of no threat?

How can anyone speculate or issue assurances to the thousands of Americans who have witnessed the drones that there is no threat?

For weeks, we’ve asked for the truth and action to mitigate any and all threats to people and property.

Now we are demanding it.

As the sightings increase including by service members at Naval Weapons Station Earle – where several have been seen or by the Coast Guard which had one of its 47-foot rescue boats followed in very close proximity off its stern by numerous drones – why can’t we bag at least one drone and get to the bottom of this?
 
Why can’t we even track a suspect drone to its origin?

Have we so little control over our airspace?

Remember the feckless response to the Chinese Communist Party Spy balloon?

The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities – or worse – by violent dictatorships including Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea.

The Pentagon has already said the drones are not ours.

I’ve written Defense Secretary Llyod Austin asking the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to down one or more of these unmanned threats to uncover the mystery of the drones.

Knowing how drone warfare has radically changed warfighting in Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East and elsewhere, this is not the time to trivialize or dismiss the threat.

Special thanks to both Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy and Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden for doing all within their power and authority to aggressively investigate and track drone appearances. They are doing an amazing job.

As many of you know, state and local law enforcement is precluded by law from taking more decisive action – which again is why DOD must act now and Congress and the President need to move quickly to expand state and local authorities.

Sheriff Golden wrote me a few days ago requesting legislation to empower the state police to seriously protect at risk persons and infrastructure, and if necessary, bring down a dangerous drone or drones.

I am drafting that bill now and will introduce it soon.