Members of Congress are raising concerns about the mystery drones that have been spotted flying above New Jersey in recent weeks, as the aircraft of unknown origin are flying in close proximity to a military base and the president-elect’s golf club. 

During a homeland security subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, the assistant director of the FBI’s critical incident response group, Robert Wheeler, says the FBI is working on their investigation with the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement partners. The drones started appearing above New Jersey in mid-November. 

Mr. Wheeler described the drones as being above or near “sensitive sites and areas of concern,” including over Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, New Jersey. 

“We do not contribute that to an individual or a group yet,” Mr. Wheeler told subcommittee members. “We’re actively investigating.”

Another person who testified on Tuesday was the deputy executive assistant commissioner of air and marine operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Keith Jones. He said that the appearance of these drones should give everyone cause for concern, given that he has seen cartels and human traffickers use them on the southern border for reconnaissance. 

The U.S. Army has denied that the drones could be military equipment. Some had speculated that due to the large size of the drones and their proximity to the arsenal could mean that they were controlled by the government. 

In a statement to the NJ Advance, the Army confirmed they were also unaware of the drones’ origin. “While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities,” said the arsenal’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Craig Bonham.

The arsenal further said they have had 11 confirmed sightings of the mystery drones over the course of the last month. 

Governor Murphy rang the alarm bell on the drones on Tuesday, saying that he was taking the potential threat “deadly seriously.”

“The minute you get eyes on them, they go dark. And, you know, we’re obviously most concerned about sensitive targets and sensitive, critical infrastructure. We’ve got military assets, we’ve got utility assets, we’ve got the president-elect’s, one of his homes, here. This is something we’re taking deadly seriously,” Mr. Murphy told reporters. 

On Monday, 21 Morris County mayors sent a letter to Mr. Murphy demanding that he determine the origin and intentions of the drones as quickly as possible. 

“While the benefits of drone technology are widely recognized when used responsibly and transparently, the lack of information and clarity regarding these operations has caused fear and frustration among our constituents,” they wrote to the governor. “Despite inquiries made to relevant authorities, we have yet to receive satisfactory answers about the purpose, operators, or safety protocols governing these flights.”

The purpose of the subcommittee hearing on Tuesday was to discuss reauthorizing certain law enforcement powers for the FBI to combat the unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS. 

“The FBI alone cannot protect the over 40,000 special event assessment rating or seer events annually held in the U.S., along with the countless other requests for counter-UAS support as mass gatherings. The use of counter-UAS to protect against these situations is critical, and can only be fully addressed by expanding the capability to include our state and local partners,” Mr. Wheeler warned. 

Mr. Wheeler testified alongside the deputy assistant attorney general for national security, Brad Wiegmann. 

Mr. Wiegmann says Congress must be “broadening the types of sites” that the FBI can monitor and protect, like power plants and airports under their current legal framework, as well as “empowering state and local law enforcement.”

“This is not a job the federal government can do alone.”