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Mysterious drone sightings on the rise
Two men were arrested in Boston for 'hazardous drone operation' after flying too close to Logan Airport. The arrests come amid growing concerns about a series of drone sightings that started in the northeast and have expanded across the country. LiveNOW's Andrew Craft spoke about the drones with retired Marine intelligence officer Hal Kempfer.
Aircraft have been buzzing over parts of the East Coast in recent weeks, and elected officials are urging action to identify and stop the unidentified flying.
U.S. national security officials have said the sudden swarms of reported drones over parts of New Jersey, New York and other eastern parts of the country don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat. But they also can’t say with certainty who is responsible for the apparent drones or how they can be stopped.
Leaders of both political parties are demanding better technology and powers to deal with the mysterious drone reports.
"There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now," Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on "FOX News Sunday."
"'We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer," he said.
What’s known about the drone sightings
Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over parts of New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials.
Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.
Drones are now being reported all along the northern East Coast, with suspicious sightings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to news reports.
Experts say at least some of the reported drones are, in fact, normal commercial or private aircraft and, in some cases, even planets or stars.
Ohio military base
Drones reported flying around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced base officials to close the airspace for about four hours late Friday, Dec. 12, into early Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesperson.
It is the first time drones have been spotted at the base, one of the largest in the world, and no sightings have been reported since early Saturday, Purtiman said Monday.
He would not say how many drones were flying in the area, adding that they ranged in size and that they did not impact any base facilities.
Drone arrests in Boston
In Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone "dangerously close" to Logan Airport on Saturday night.
Authorities said an officer using drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators. Authorities said the two men face trespassing charges, and could face more charges and fines.
Boston police urged drone operators to adhere to federal safety guidelines.
What the US government is saying
The federal government did little to answer questions in its own media briefings on Sunday morning.
"There’s no question that people are seeing drones," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
"But I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities."
Some of the drones reported above parts of New York and New Jersey have turned out to be "manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones," Mayorkas said. "We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter."
Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their remote identification, including the location of their operators. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is behind the drones plaguing locations over New York and New Jersey.
Mayorkas’ office didn’t respond to questions from the Associated Press about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability.
What Trump has said about the drone sightings
President-elect Donald Trump said "the government knows what is happening" when asked about the New Jersey drone mystery during a wide-ranging Monday morning news conference.
This goes against official statements from federal and state authorities who said they don't know why mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey, Staten Island and elsewhere in recent weeks.
"I can’t imagine it’s the enemy because if it was the enemy, they’d blast it out, even if they were late, they’d blast it," the president-elect said Monday.
"They know where it came from and where it went, and for some reason, they don’t wanna comment, and I think they’d be better off saying what it is," he added. "Our military knows, and our president knows, and for some reason, they wanna keep people in suspense."
Drones have even been spotted over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
"I won't spend the weekend in Bedminster. I've decided to cancel my trip," Trump joked Monday.
When asked if he had received an intelligence briefing on the drones, Trump said "I don't wanna comment on that."
This isn't the president-elect's first comments on the drone mystery.
"Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!" he posted on his social media site Truth social on Friday.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, as well as law enforcement officials, have stressed the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft.
What other elected officials are saying
Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday called for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify the drones and their operators.
"New Yorkers have tremendous questions about it," Schumer, the Senate majority leader, told reporters about the drone sightings. "We are going to get the answers for them."
Schumer wants the federal government to use a recently declassified radio wave technology in New York and New Jersey. The radio wave detector can be attached to a drone or airplane and can determine whether another flying object is a bird or a drone, read its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place.
Schumer said state and local authorities do not have the authority to track drones.
On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state.
"This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations," Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed.
Some U.S. political leaders, including Trump, have called for much stronger action against the drones, including shooting them down.
Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to "incapacitate" drones, Mayorkas said Sunday. "But we need those authorities expanded," he said.
A bill before the U.S. Senate would enhance some federal agencies’ authority and give new abilities to local and state agencies to track drones. It would also start a pilot program allowing states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator.
"What the drone issue points out are gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department," Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser, said on CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from.’’