New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) has sounded the alarm about mysterious drone activity over the Garden State, suggesting that the drones may be originating from an Iranian “mothership” off the U.S. East Coast. Van Drew made the claims during an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, citing “very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources.”
“Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago that contains these drones. That mothership is off the east coast of the United States of America,” Van Drew stated. “They’ve launched drones … I don’t say this lightly. Now, you know, we know there was a probability it could have been our own government. We know it’s not our own government, because they would have let us know.”
Van Drew expressed concern about the potential threat posed by these drones, some of which are reportedly the size of SUVs. “We’ve gotta bring ’em down,” he insisted, while acknowledging the possibility that another entity could be responsible. However, he doubted that a private group could manage such an advanced operation.
Fox News host Harris Faulkner noted that the drones have been seen near Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey residence, adding to security concerns. Van Drew suggested the drones could be gathering intelligence, stating, “This is a clear and present danger to the United States and to our president-elect, and it’s a serious business.”
The Pentagon has dismissed Van Drew’s claims. Defense Department deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters, “At this time, we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary.” She added, “At no point were our [military] installations threatened when this activity was occurring.” Regarding the allegation of an Iranian mothership, Singh stated, “There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States.”
Van Drew’s concerns are echoed by other lawmakers. New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) reported between 12 and 30 drones following a U.S. Coast Guard vessel off the New Jersey coast on Sunday night. Meanwhile, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) a member of the Homeland Security Committee, accused the federal government of withholding information. “If our government really has no idea, then they’re even more incompetent than I thought. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this, and they need to level with the American people about what’s going on,” Hawley said.
The FBI continues to investigate the sightings, urging the public to report any unusual drone activity. As of now, the source and purpose of the drones remain unclear, leaving officials and residents concerned.
