Ocean County Leader

Between 12 and 30 drones were reportedly seen trailing a Coast Guard lifeboat off the Jersey Shore on Sunday night, according to Republican lawmaker Chris Smith. This information was shared during a Congressional hearing on mysterious drone sightings over the past month.

A briefing earlier this week by a Coast Guard commander in Barnegat Light confirmed the drones were following a 47-foot vessel. "Maybe it’s China," Smith suggested during the committee meeting. "Xi Jinping is a monster. Look at what Putin is doing. They’re all capable of doing horrible things to our people."

Smith also mentioned that an Ocean County Sheriff’s officer observed 50 drones moving from the ocean over land at Island Beach State Park over the weekend.

The Coast Guard and FBI have not yet responded to requests for more information or comments. The FBI continues to investigate numerous nighttime drone sightings reported in New Jersey recently, though it remains unclear how many reports involve unexplained drones versus airplanes or other objects. The agency has requested public assistance in gathering video and photo evidence of these sightings.

Governor Phil Murphy and some local law enforcement officials have stated that there is no known threat posed by these drones to the public. However, other county and local officials find the sightings concerning, including those over New Jersey's largest reservoir.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy expressed his concern about the drone sightings, stating he considers them a public safety issue: “I’d like to identify who the people are, or have somebody identify them,” he said, noting that no one has seen them land or take off yet.

During the hearing, Smith urged military intervention to intercept and investigate one of these drones: “Just send that capability out to the ocean or to the beach because they’re coming in every day."

In a letter addressed Tuesday to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Smith highlighted "numerous instances of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flying over New Jersey." He noted Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst's ability "to identify and take down unauthorized unmanned aerial systems" which has been used for addressing overflights at their installation.

As of Wednesday, there had been no response from U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III regarding Smith’s letter, according to a spokesman for Smith.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on these drone reports, as confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre: “We are closely tracking the activity and coordinating closely with relevant agencies,” she said when asked about frustrations from New Jersey officials and residents regarding unanswered questions about these sightings.