U.S. national security officials appeared to dispel concerns about the mysterious drones flying over the Northeast in a recent call with reporters, one going as far as describing nationwide uneasiness as “a slight overreaction.”
The call, attended by Fox News Digital Saturday, was hosted by senior Biden administration officials, including representatives from the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD).
The senior officials remained tight-lipped about the origins of the drones, which are still being investigated. The mysterious aircraft were first spotted flying above northern New Jersey in mid-November and have been repeatedly seen by thousands of residents over the past few weeks.
During the call with reporters, an FBI official said his agency has received 5,000 tips since the first mysterious drone was seen flying above the Garden State in November. Of those 5,000 tips, fewer than 100 warranted further investigation, the official said.
The Pentagon official added that there are limitations in terms of investigating the drones’ sources.
“We’re also significantly restricted, and rightfully so, in fact, prohibited from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance here in the homeland,” the spokesperson noted. “So, we don’t have the same capabilities and the same methods that we would employ in other locations outside of the homeland to determine points of origin.”
“Here, on the military side, we are just as frustrated with, you know, with the irresponsible nature of this activity,” the official conceded.
An NSC official echoed the DOD representative’s sentiment, arguing there is no evidence foreign adversaries are involved with the drones, and there is no proof of any threat to public safety.
Map showing some of the locations where mystery drones have been spotted in December 2024. (Fox News)
“Obviously, we are taking this incredibly seriously at this point,” the NSC official said. “We have not identified any basis for believing that …. there’s any criminal activity involved, that there’s any national security threat, that there’s any particular public safety threat or that there’s a malicious foreign actor involved in these drones.”
Fox News’ Daniel Scully contributed to this report.
