“Nefarious” drones appear over “critical” infrastructure in New Jersey: police

NEW JERSEY – Officials in another New Jersey county are investigating a series of nighttime drone sightings that have puzzled residents for weeks.

What the apparent drones are doing and who they belong to has been the subject of much online conjecture – but authorities have offered little explanation at this point in the investigation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken the lead and is working with the New Jersey State Police and the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to monitor the passengers, who often show up in groups.

On Wednesday, Warren County officials noted residents’ concerns and also asked for help documenting any sightings, “particularly those involving critical infrastructure.”

“There is no known threat to public safety at this time,” said the acting Warren County prosecutor and other public safety officials.

Also Wednesday, Florham Park’s police chief said local law enforcement officials had been “pressuring” state and federal officials for information because of sightings near water reservoirs, train stations and military installations.

“While we currently have no evidence or information to suggest that these drones pose an immediate threat at this time, their presence appears to be nefarious in nature,” Police Chief Joseph Orlando said Wednesday.

Florham Park police said the sightings had occurred just after sunset each night for the past two weeks and lasted “well into the early morning hours.”

Law enforcement officials in Morris and Somerset counties issued a joint statement Tuesday also saying they were aware of the reports and would continue to monitor drone activity.

Video released by the Associated Press shows the flying machines over homes in Morris County, where the first reports came in around mid-November.

The FBI began its own investigation on November 26, about 10 days after the first sightings were reported, but there have been no updates since then. The agency also noted that some of the possible drones flew along the Raritan River.

“We don’t want to guess or hypothesize about what’s going on,” FBI spokeswoman Amy J. Thoreson told Patch on Wednesday. “We’re doing everything we can to find out.”

In the meantime, the FBI is asking local residents to share any videos or photos they may have of the flights, along with other relevant information.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed flight restrictions on drones over Donald Trump’s National Golf Club in Bedminster and over the Picatinny Arsenal military base in Rockaway.

Officials also had to cancel the arrival of a medical helicopter to a crash site in Somerset County last week because drones were hovering near the landing zone, a report said.

It’s worth remembering that not every light in the night sky is a drone, Florham Park police added:

“Please note that not all low-flying aircraft are drones as we have Morristown Municipal Airport on our western border and Newark (Liberty) International Airport in close proximity.”

However, some internet experts have insisted that the lights were not planes. An X user recently posted a video of an object he claimed was a drone flying at an altitude of 500 to 1,000 feet over New Jersey. “This is not a plane – you can hear the rotor blades,” they wrote.

And the enthusiasm for the flying lights has apparently reached Essex County, where Fairfield Township issued the following notice Thursday:

“In the event of a drone sighting, please contact the FBI with your information at 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also email them at [email protected]. Additionally, if you encounter a drone that has landed in Fairfield, please call us at 973-227-1400 so we can further investigate the matter and make further notifications.”

Bright lights continue to be spotted in the sky across North Jersey.

Drone regulations

Federal regulations restrict the nighttime flight of drones, formally called unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned aerial systems.

Pilots must have completed an initial knowledge test or training and the drone must have anti-collision lighting that is visible at least five kilometers.

There are also limits when flying directly over other people: the aircraft may weigh a maximum of 230 grams and may not contain any rotating parts.

Under current FAA regulations, a drone pilot is only allowed to operate one drone at a time, but organizations can apply for a waiver to fly multiple drones.

Drone operators who conduct unsafe operations that endanger other aircraft or people on the ground could face fines of up to $75,000. The FAA can also suspend or revoke the pilot certificates of drone operators.

And any drone-weary resident thinking about simply shooting one out of the sky should know that the FAA considers drones to be aircraft and federal law prohibits the destruction or sabotage of aircraft in U.S. airspace.

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Patch’s Eric Kiefer and Russ Crespolini contributed to this report.