What is the story behind the mysterious drones flying over in the American skies?
Unidentified drones continued to appear in the skies over the northeastern United States this weekend, prompting federal authorities to reiterate that there was no criminal or foreign activity involved, while President-elect Donald Trump suggested they should be shot down.
Kathy Huckel, the Democratic governor of New York, the fourth-most populous US state (20 million people), said in a statement Saturday that runways at a small airport in the area were closed for an hour the previous evening due to the appearance of new drones.
From their side, New York’s aviation authorities confirmed this short closure, which had no impact on flights.
For several weeks, residents in the New York and New Jersey area have been reporting drones flying in the sky, a phenomenon that has raised concerns, especially since local and national authorities haven’t provided any answers regarding their source.
Videos of the flares flying in the sky have been circulating on social media, as local elected officials criticize President Joe Biden’s administration for what they see as inaction.
Some elected representatives, such as Republican Congressman Chris Smith, have raised the possibility that this could be a threat from a foreign country such as Russia or China, without any evidence to support this.
On Friday, US President-elect Donald Trump joined the debate.
“Mysterious sightings of marches all over the country,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Can this really happen without our government knowing? I don’t think so! The public needs to know right away… Or shoot them down!!!” he added.
For his part, the mayor of Monmouth County, New Jersey, criticized the national authorities for their lack of response, while calling on the public not to shoot at the drones.
Representatives from the FBI, Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that there is nothing, at this stage of their investigation, that indicates criminal activity or the involvement of a foreign power.
