Former CIA Operations officer Laura Ballman says the mysterious drone sightings are ‘extremely unsettling’ as the public seeks answers on ‘Fox News Live.’
Drones sightings across New Jersey have unsettled residents for weeks with no official explanations being offered. Ballman argued that circumstances around the drone sightings suggest it may be a U.S. operation.
“Deducing the statements from [National Security spokesman] John Kirby that these drones are not operating illegally, coupled with several op-eds that have been out there in the last 24 hours about the need to look at our detection systems, makes me think perhaps this is actually a classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas,” Ballman said.
Ballman went on to say she would be “shocked” if the drones were related to the CIA, saying it is “not their mandate to operate in the United States.” She added that she is “troubled” by why the U.S. government has not been forthcoming with information regarding the drones.
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 FBI official added that investigators have found no evidence of large-scale unmanned drone activity despite the recent uptick in drone activity in recent weeks.
New Jersey State Assemblyman Paul Kanitra took a photo of what appears to be multiple drones hovering in the New Jersey sky on Thursday, Dec. 13. (Paul Kanitra / “Fox News @ Night”)
“We’re doing our best to find the origin of that specific … those drone activities,” the official said. “But I think there has been a slight overreaction.”
Echoing comments from the FBI representative, a DHS official noted that, while his agency is not dismissing all tips about the drones as non-credible, “the amount of actual drone activity is likely less than what’s being reported.”
Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
