NJ drone sightings could be 'classified exercise': Ex-CIA official
4 Min Read
Drone sightings in New Jersey have alarmed people for weeks, with no official explanations provided.
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A photo shows the evening sky and points of light near Lebanon Township, New Jersey, on December 5, 2024. (Trisha Bushey via AP)
Former CIA Operations officer Laura Ballman said the unexplained drone sightings are "very disconcerting" as the public seeks explanations on Fox News Live.
Ballman suggested that the circumstances surrounding the drone sightings imply a US involvement.
"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 add she would be "shocked" if the drones were linked to the CIA since it is "not their mandate to operate in the United States," noting that she is "troubled" by the reason why the US government has not been forthright with information on the drones.
🚨 BREAKING: UFO or Drone Transported UNDER HEAVY ESCORT 🚨
— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) December 15, 2024
Shocking footage has emerged showing a truck transporting what appears to be either a drone or UFO—accompanied by a heavy police escort. The sight is chilling. Is this a recent operation? What are they hiding?
With the… pic.twitter.com/5XSSam2ud1
During the press conference, an FBI agent stated that his agency had received 5,000 tips since the first mystery drone was spotted flying over New Jersey in November. The official stated that less than 100 of the 5,000 tips needed further examination.
Despite an increase in drone activity in recent weeks, the FBI official stated that investigators have uncovered no indication of large-scale unmanned drone activity.
"We're doing our best to find the origin of that specific … those drone activities," the official continued. "But I think there has been a slight overreaction."
Echoing the FBI representative's statements, a DHS official stated that, while his agency does not disregard all tips regarding drones as untrustworthy, "the amount of actual drone activity is likely less than what's being reported."
Mysterious drones in NY paralyze airport operations: Governor
Unidentified drones have halted operations earlier at Stewart Airport in New York, and the ongoing issue with these mysterious drones, which has been unsettling Americans for weeks, has now "gone too far," according to Governor Kathy Hochul.
In a statement, Hochul said, "Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far." The state governor also called for federal assistance amid the incident.
The FBI had previously stated that it had received public reports about groups of drones flying over the state for several weeks.
Local authorities have called on federal agencies to investigate the situation, as the state hosts military installations, critical infrastructure, and properties linked to US President-elect Donald Trump. The drones are said to disappear as soon as they are detected.
The Pentagon has maintained that the aerial activity over New Jersey did not originate from foreign adversaries of the United States.
The drones have been spotted over New York, New Jersey, and other states in the Northeast, sparking concern and confusion. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and New Jersey Republican Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have called on the military to shoot them down.
Experts, however, have said that shooting them poses a safety risk and is illegal.
'Shoot them down': Trump demands
On Saturday, US President-elect Donald Trump expressed alarm over reports of mysterious drones being spotted across the United States.
Taking to Truth Social, he wrote, "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!"
In a related context, US House Intelligence Committee member Josh Gottheimer has criticized the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security for withholding information about mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey and New York suburbs in recent weeks.
Gottheimer stated in an interview for CNN that the FBI and DHS “have a responsibility to brief the public more thoroughly…They are not providing enough information to the public, and the public is concerned."
