November–December 2024; joint statement 16 December / T240
Federal response to Northeast drone and light reports
New Jersey and other northeastern states
Witness account
After weeks of public reports, DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD issued a joint statement. It said the reports included lawful drones, manned aircraft and stars misidentified as drones, and that the agencies had not identified anomalous activity or a public-safety threat over civilian airspace.
Public record
The agencies also distinguished a limited number of drone sightings over military installations and restricted airspace from the much larger public reporting wave.