New Jersey governor believes the federal government can shoot down drones and is open to them having a stronger presence.

According to Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, the federal government possesses the power to take down the unidentified drones spotted hovering over the state. He expressed his willingness for them to have a more active role in addressing the situation.

This statement was made in an interview with WNYC, as both the general public and legislators grapple with the mystery surrounding the origins of these large drones. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., disclosed to Fox News that a Coast Guard official informed him about a situation where their vessel was closely followed by over a dozen drones.

When asked if it would be plausible to shoot down one of the drones for a closer examination, Murphy responded by highlighting that the federal government holds the jurisdiction to do so. He expressed his openness to them taking a more active role in the investigation, indicating his support for such a measure.

“I want folks out there to know — listen, you’re frustrated. So are we. But… we’re going to stay at it, I promise you, this is our top priority. But based on everything we know, we don’t see any evidence of a risk to public safety. And clearly, and that’s largely based on the feds input. If that changes, we will shout it from the mountaintop,” Murphy also said. 

Multiple drones were seen over Bernardsville, N.J., on Dec. 5.  (Brian Glenn/TMX/AP)

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said Wednesday that “very qualified” and “reliable” sources believe the mystery drones flying over New Jersey are originating from an Iranian “mother ship” parked off the U.S. East Coast. 

However, Murphy called that a “wild assertion” and added “The last thing we need is fearmongering out of some members of Congress.” 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy speaks during a press conference in Newark in August. He said this week that “There’s some theories out there” and “we’ve been running everything down.” (AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

“There is some sense out there that we know more than we’re saying. I wish in some respects I could tell you the answer is yes, [but] we don’t. And I believe the feds. If this is a U.S. government activity, then I’ll be the most surprised guy in the state,” he concluded. 

Fox News’ Maria Paronich and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.